The Nomos of the Earth in the International Law of Jus Publicum Europaeum

In 'The Nomos of the Earth' Carl Schmitt examines the historical foundations of international law and territorial ordering, proposing that land appropriation and spatial arrangements constitute the nomos underpinning global political orders.

He develops the Großraum (great space) concept to describe spheres of influence and how powers legitimize authority beyond borders.

The book traces European jus publicum to land-based legal orders and critiques universalist liberal internationalism.

Published after World War II, it reflects Schmitt's geopolitical thinking and continues to be studied for its influence on theories of sovereignty, territory, and imperial legal structures.