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The Practice of Socialist Internationalism

European Socialists and International Politics, 1914-1960

Talbot Imlay author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Oxford University Press

Published:14th Dec '17

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The Practice of Socialist Internationalism cover

The Practice of Socialist Internationalism examines the efforts of the British, French, and German socialist parties to cooperate with one another on concrete international issues. Drawing on archival research from twelve countries, it spans the years from the First World War to the early 1960s, paying particular attention to the two post-war periods, during which national and international politics were recast. In addition to highlighting a neglected dimension of twentieth-century European socialism, the volume provides novel perspectives on the history of internationalism and the history of international politics. By practicing internationalism, European socialists sought to forge a new practice of international relations, one that would emerge from their collective efforts to work out 'socialist' approaches to pressing issues of international politics such as post-war reconstruction, European integration, and decolonization.

By virtue of his archival research in twelve countries he has succeeded in producing an essential starting point for future students of these subjects who can regard this book as a reliable guide to the exchange of views between the parties concerned on many of the big issues of the period, such as the 1919 peace settlement, the Ruhr crisis of 1923, the Dawes Plan, European security, Imperialism and decolonization, European unity and the Cold War. * John Callaghan, Journal of Modern History *
The book thus forms a new standard work on socialist internationalism and will prove important in re-assessing the role of international socialism, and internationalism more generally, in the forging of European international politics. * Kasper Braskén, European History Quarterly *
This study -- supported by the author's extraordinary command of the literature and primary materials, and his sharp and persistent focus on key themes of socialism, internationalism, and international politics -- concentrates on the British Labour Party and the German and French socialist parties. Revival of international contacts during this war, bitter divisions on the Left in its aftermath, and the defection of many socialists to communism led socialists to renew international commitment and organization in the early 1920s. The account of this renewal is a particularly significant contribution, as is the discussion of socialist internationalism after 1945 and through the 1950s. Remarkable throughout is the relevant documentation, especially from volumes of correspondence archived in 12 countries ... Highly recommended. * CHOICE *
Talbot C. Imlay's The Practice of Socialist Internationalism is a reminder of the need to think about internationalism in the plural, and the fact that capturing this pluralism requires crossing national and historiographical borders. Based on dazzling archival research in a dozen countries, the book draws from personal papers and party collections from Ottawa to Oslo and across Europe. The historiographical treatment is also wideranging, as is the thematic range. This means that the book can be read in a number of ways. * Elidor Mehilli, Hunter College, City University of New York, History: The Journal of the Historical Association *

ISBN: 9780199641048

Dimensions: 242mm x 164mm x 34mm

Weight: 878g

496 pages