Beyond the Great War: Making Peace in a Disordered World

“Beyond the Great War rectifies the history of the end of the war by going beyond traditional actors and periodisations, and by emphasising the struggles and imperfections in what is known as the new international order.” Jan Stöckmann, English Historical Review

“What Beyond the Great War demonstrates is how that complexity was reflected in divergent proposals for the creation of a better world. Pacifist and nonpacifist mothers in France held widely differing opinions about how to achieve peace, socialists were equally divided, and the Ligue des droits de l’homme, an institution central to French republicanism, could not agree whether the Treaty of Versailles should be revised. With chapters ranging from the ambiguous nature of Alsace-Lorraine’s return to France to Mary Church Terrell’s struggles to advance racial and gender equality, the book represents a worthy attempt to broaden understanding of the legacy of the conflict.” Alan Sharp, Ulster University, Journal of Modern History

"What sort of new world order – or disorder – did the Great War make? With a stellar group of scholars weighing in on this question from fresh, diverse perspectives, this volume will enlighten anyone interested in the post-1919 world."

Erez Manela, Professor of History, Harvard University, and author of The Wilsonian Moment

"Combining original case studies and conceptual reflections as well as social and institutional approaches, the book attests to the vitality of the history of international relations and its attractiveness to new generations of researchers. Giving an important place to the situation of France at the time of the debates on international reconstruction, Beyond the Great War also enhances the historiography of the transatlantic relationship."

Laurence Badel, Professor in History of International Relations, Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne University

"Beyond the Great War is a brilliant collection of essays written by some of the leading historians of our time. This book is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand the origins of the Paris Peace Treaties and the contested international order that emerged in 1919."

Robert Gerwarth, Professor of Modern History and Director of the Centre for War Studies, University College Dublin

"Ending war and creating peace: This book offers new perspectives on the end of the First World War and the attempts to build a new world order. One hundred years after the Paris Peace Treaties, its contributions challenge established interpretations and provide important and stimulating fresh views."

Eckart Conze, Professor of Modern History, University of Marburg