The Internationalists: How a Radical Plan to Outlaw War Remade the World

The 1928 Paris Peace Treaty, aka the Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawed war but was met with derision, as the invasions and military buildup that precipitated World War II seemed to mock it. The ideals of the old world order of conquest were running up against those of the new world order. The Internationalists delves into the work of less-heralded men, such as Edmond Charles Genet, who used American ports and attempted to obtain US aid against enemies during the French Revolution; Salmon Levinson, who researched the legal status of war and was against the League of Nations; and more infamous men such as Carl Schmitt, who saw the impossibility of outlawing war but was also a Nazi philosopher. The trials of Nuremberg and the aggressive prosecution of the Germans lead to the current wars of the Islamic State and the philosophy espoused by Sayid Qutb.

The Internationalists is an exhaustive but well-written text revolving around changes in war, particularly in the past hundred years. The writers endeavor to detail how global conflicts are a thing of the past due to the work of treaties such as the Kellogg-Briand pact. Some might disagree, but the authors offer compelling evidence proving their thesis. An excellent and informative study.