interwar idealism shunji cui department of political science school of public affairs zhejiang...
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Interwar Idealism
Shunji CuiDepartment of Political Science
School of Public AffairsZhejiang University
Email: [email protected]
IPT, L2:
IR: Introduction
1. The First WW and IR
2. Woodrow Wilson & Fourteen Points
3. Norman Angell
4. Enlightenment and Idealism
5. Idealism and its Critiques
WWI & Its Impacts
WWI & Its Devastation: Scale: covered all industrial societies Destructive power: industrial warfare; hugely
traumatic experience in human history
Qs: Why was it that the war began in the first
place? Why the GPs such as B, F, G, A and others
persist in waging war?
你的诊断?你的处方?
Idealism:The Conventional Start of IR
The search for answers to above questions, and to know how ir works, how to avoid war
All from strong desire to know more about the subject, but there is also Anglo-American study in their cultural bias, the influence of Liberal ideas.
The causes of WWI: Leadership misperceptions / old system Autocratic leaders (G, A): unrestrained by democratic
institutions and under pressure from their generals; egoistic and short-sighted calculations and miscalculations;
Democratic leaders (B, F): drawn into the conflict by an interlocking system of military alliances.
Woodrow Wilson 伍德罗 ·威尔逊( 1856-1924)
Fourteen Points ——消除战争实现和平的处方 Domestic & International
Reform Promotion of democracy
and self-determination Creation of an international
organization
Wilson's Fourteen Points 1. No more secret agreements ("Open covenants openly arrived at").2. Free navigation of all seas.3. An end to all economic barriers between countries.4. Countries to reduce weapon numbers.5. All decisions regarding the colonies should be impartial6. The German Army is to be removed from Russia. Russia should be left to
develop her own political set-up.7. Belgium should be independent like before the war.8. France should be fully liberated and allowed to recover Alsace-Lorraine9. All Italians are to be allowed to live in Italy. Italy's borders are to "along
clearly recognisable lines of nationality."10. Self-determination should be allowed for all those living in Austria-
Hungary.11. Self-determination and guarantees of independence should be allowed for
the Balkan states.12. The Turkish people should be governed by the Turkish government. Non-
Turks in the old Turkish Empire should govern themselves.13. An independent Poland should be created which should have access to
the sea.14. A League of Nations should be set up to guarantee the political and
territorial independence of all states.
处方 I: Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points
Domestic & International Reform
1. Promotion of democracy and self-determination. Wilson’s hope that the growth of liberal democracy in
Europe would put an end to autocratic and warlike leaders and put peaceful governments in their place.
Liberal convention that democratic governments do not and will not go to war against each other
2. Creation of an international organization From the earlier realist notions of the Concert of Europe
and the BOP to put relations between states on a firmer institutional foundation.
international institutions can promote peaceful cooperation among states.
处方 II: Norman Angel, The Great Illusion (1909) The illusion == many statespeople still
believe that war serves profitable purposes; that success in war is beneficial for the winner.
In modern times: territorial conquest is extremely expensive and politically divisive because it severely disrupts international commerce.
A forerunner of modernization and economic interdependence thinking.
Enlightenment and The Liberal View Enlightenment:
Emphasis on human reason and individualism.
Reform society using reason liberal view of human and society1. Human beings are rational, and when they
apply reason to ir they can set up organizations for the benefit of all.
2. Public opinion is a constructive force;
3. From principle (theory) practices (empirical)
The Politics of Interwar Period
Some success in the 1920s; The establishment of League of Nation, and the role
of GPs to assure each other of their peaceful intentions.
The Briand-Kellogg pact of 1928 ——an international agreement to abolish war.
Main blows to Idealism Rise of Fascism and Nazism (Italy, Germany, Spain) Increase in Authoritarianism (Poland, Hungary,
Romania, Yugoslavia) The failure of the League of Nations The Great Depression