International Relations includes and covers all aspects of topics which, from the point of view of common sense, are relevant for purpose of international studies. Its foundation lies in the desire for mutual adjustments of national interests which the states amongst themselves seek to protect and achieve in the widely divergent physical, geological, geographical, and climatic situations and environments governing them. The field of the study of international relations is an international society.

  Its scope includes the evolution and structure of international society, the actions on the international scene, the patterns of their behavior and the driving forces being their actions, and finally, the problems of international planning. The management of the relations of States in the mid-twentieth century requires increasingly complex governmental machinery, both national and international.

A variety of agencies and media are used, ranging from complex peacekeeping organizations, such as the United Nations, to ordinary, bilateral negotiations. All these institutions contribute to the scope of International Relations.
International Affairs and International Relations are similar terms. International affairs or relations are sometimes identified with foreign affairs.

This implies a contrast to home affairs. It is said that international affairs are of less importance than matters nearer home. In an age of world wars, nuclear weapon systems, and space vehicles, such an attitude to “foreign” policy is wrong. The reverse position is nearer the truth. International affairs condition domestic affairs.

International Relations and International Politics     

International relations include in their study the totality of relations of any people and group in the world society. They include all aspects of relations between countries and people, political or non-political, peaceful or warlike. legal or cultural, Economic or geographic, official or non-official As Harold and Margaret Sprout put it, this term is used “to designate all human behavior on the other side of the country”.The term ‘relations’ has a variety of meaning such as contacts, connections and action, and reaction.

Hence the scholars have tended to define international relations as action on the part of a group state or government-directed towards another group that reacts to them. The term international politics, on the other hand,  can notes the politics of international community in a rather narrow sense concerning mainly diplomacy and international relations have a  much wider connotation international politics in so afar as this embrace all sorts of relations among people and groups in the world society and these relations operate both at the official as well as non-official levels.

On The other hand, international politics includes only those aspects of international relations in which conflict of purpose for interest is involved. To quote Padelford and Lincoln “In its broadcast  Sense, the field of international relations comprises myriads of contacts  “among individuals, business organizations. cultural institutions and political personalities of many different countries.

When people speak of international relations, however, they are usually thinking of the relationship between states as such. this is to be expected in view of the fact that it is stated which make the vital decisions affecting peace and war and that it is stated which make the vital decisions affecting peace and war and that it is their governments which have the authority to regulates business, travel. commerce, use of resources, political ideas,  territorial jurisdiction. nationality, communications, employment of armed forces, and other aspects of international affairs.

The relationship between states is described as ‘international politics’, that is. the interaction of state policies. This is the core of contemporary  international relations.”

Expanding Scope of International Relations after the first world war(BA LLB)

The scope of international relations has very much expanded in modern times. Initially, international relations were concerned only with the study of diplomacy history. It  Scope was confined to the study of contemporary foreign affairs with a view to drawing certain lessons Later on emphasis was laid on the study of international law.

Now international relations began to be studied within the framework of international law with the establishment of the League of Nations after the First World war. The field of the study of International relations was further widened to include the study of international organizations and institutions.