"The public opinion of the world": transnational citizen activism and diplomacy, 1890-1920

Project summary

"The public opinion of the world": transnational citizen activism and diplomacy, 1890-1920 involves archival research in the UK, continental Europe and the United States. The project is funded by the British Academy.

Analysing the activities of several transnational organisations, including the International Peace Bureau, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, the Women's International League of Peace and Freedom, the World Peace Foundation and The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, I will explore how peace was articulated, the projected role that an increasingly enlightened and international 'public sphere' would play, and hence the overall influence of public opinion on international affairs during this frenetic and challenging period of modern history.