Democracy Affects European Foreign Policies During the Early 20th Century and Beyond

Abstract

Democracy refers to a political system in which power is vested in the people. The basic principle of democracy is that people have the right to choose their own leaders and determine public policy, usually through elections and voting. The core idea of democracy is that all people are equal and that everyone should have an equal opportunity to participate in political decision-making. Democracy played a crucial role in shaping European foreign policy in the early twentieth century and beyond. As a political institution, democracy not only occupies a central place in domestic politics, but also serves as a guiding principle for the foreign policies of European countries. The periods of World War I and the post-Cold War era were two key periods. After the end of World War I, many European countries tried to turn to democracy, such as the Weimar Republic in Germany. It was a great attempt. After the end of the Cold War, some countries tried to fulfill some criteria in order to become a member of the European Union, and these criteria were related to democracy, which widened the scope of democratic influence. Democracy as a political system has a great influence on the foreign policy of a country.