Client state

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Client state is one of several terms used to describe the subordination of one state to a more powerful state in international affairs. It is the least specific of these terms and may be treated as a broad category which includes satellite state, puppet state, neo-colony, protectorate, vassal state and tributary state. See also unequal treaty. The idea that there might be a hierarchy of states, some more or less dependent on others, contradicts the doctrine of Westphalian sovereignty which holds that each state is a distinct, separate and sovereign entity.

Client states have existed for millennia as stronger powers made subservient those around them as they grew. In ancient times states such as Persia and Greek Polis' would create client states by making the personal leaders of that state subservient. One of the most prolific users of client states was Republican Rome which, instead of conquering and then absorbing into an empire, chose to make client states out of those it defeated, a policy which was continued up until the 1st century BC when imperial power took over. The use of client states continued through the Middle Ages as the feudal system began to take hold.

In modern times, client states have developed based upon imperial possessions of the great European powers of 19th century. These client states were especially obvious during the Cold War as almost the entire world divided based upon being a client state of either the Soviet Union or the United States.