The alternative diplomacy of experimental

states in 1917-1925

James Roslington, University of Cambridgeroslington@hotmail.com

Unrecognised / partially recognised new claims to sovereignty per year, 1910-39

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2

4

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8

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12

14

1910

1911

1912

1913

1914

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919

1920

1921

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

1930

1931

1932

1933

1934

1935

1936

1937

1938

1939

‘Because it was a transparently constructed entity in a contested region, Manchukuo provides a window into the modern processes of nation making, state building and identity formation.’

- Prasenjit Duara, Sovereignty and authenticity: Manchukuo and the East Asian modern (2003)

“A laboratory on top of a graveyard”

The Bavarian Soviet Republic (1919)

The Italian Regency of Carnaro (1919-20)

The Free Territory (1918-21)

Kokand Autonomy (1917-1918); Idel-Ural State (1917-18); Alash Autonomy (1917-20); Ukrainian People’s Republic (1917-20); Belarussian People’s Republic (1918); Kuban People’s Republic (1918-20); Republic of Alsace-Lorraine (1918); Banat Republic (1918); Taurida Soviet Socialist Republic (1918); Finnish Socialist Workers’ Republic (1918) Free Territory (1918-20); Lemko Republic (1918-20); Slovak Soviet Republic (1919); Bavarian Soviet Republic (1919); Free State Bottleneck (1919-23); Republic of Prekmurje (1919); North Caucasian Emirate (1919-20); Persian Soviet Socialist Republic (1920-1); Free State of Fiume (1920-4); Lajtabánság (1921); Labin Republic (1921); Republic of Mirdita (1921); Serbian-Hungarian Baranya-Baja Republic (1921); Republic of the Rif (1921-5); Rhenish Republic (1923-5)

Alternative diplomacy of the experimental states

The re-ordering of the world

Parallel diplomacy

‘Open diplomacy’