Nationalism and Internationalism Reconciled

In: Contributions to the history of concepts, Band 13, Heft 2, S. 25-53

Abstract

The carnage of World War I gave rise to liberal visions for a new world
order with democratized foreign policy and informed international public
opinion. Conservatives emphasized continuity in national sovereignty,
while socialists focused on the interests of the working class. While British
diplomacy in the construction of the League of Nations has been widely
discussed, we focus on contemporary uses of nationalism and internationalism
in parliamentary and press debates that are more ideological. We also
examine how failed internationalist visions influenced uses of these concepts
during World War II, supporting alternative organizational solutions,
caution with the rhetoric of democracy and public opinion, and ways to
reconcile national sovereignty with a new world organization. The United
Nations was to guarantee the interests of the leading powers (including the
United States), while associations with breakthroughs of democracy were
avoided. Nationalism (patriotism) and internationalism were reconciled
with less idealism and more pragmatism.