The Interwar World: (Routledge Worlds)

The Interwar World collects an international group of over 50 contributors to discuss, analyze, and interpret this crucial period in twentieth-century history. A comprehensive understanding of the interwar era has been limited by Euro-American approaches and strict adherence to the temporal limits of the world wars. The volume’s contributors challenge the era’s accepted temporal and geographic framings by privileging global processes and interactions. Each contribution takes a global, thematic approach, integrating world regions into a shared narrative. Three central questions frame the chapters. First, when was the interwar? Viewed globally, the years 1918 and 1939 are arbitrary limits, and the volume explicitly engages with the artificiality of the temporal framework while closely examining the specific dynamics of the 1920s and 1930s. Second, where was the interwar? Contributors use global history methodologies and training in varied world regions to decenter Euro-American frameworks, engaging directly with the usefulness of the interwar as both an era and an analytical category. Third, how global was the interwar? Authors trace accelerating connections in areas such as public health and mass culture counterbalanced by processes of economic protectionism, exclusive nationalism, and limits to migration. By approaching the era thematically, the volume disaggregates and interrogates the meaning of the ‘global’ in this era. As a comprehensive guide, this volume offers overviews of key themes of the interwar period for undergraduates, while offering up-to-date historiographical insights for postgraduates and scholars interested in this pivotal period in global history.

Table of Contents:
Table of Contents Introduction Heidi J.S. Tworek and Andrew Denning Structures 1. Environment Sarah Hamilton 2. Population and Demographics Edward Ross Dickinson 3. Energy Philipp Lehmann 4. Technology and Infrastructure Fredrik Meiton 5. Health Iris Borowy 6. Mass Culture Matthew B. Karush and Sam Lebovic Institutions 7. War and Revolution Filipe Ribeiro de Meneses 8. Violence and Genocide Michelle Tusan 9. The State George Lawson and Ayşe Zarakol 10. Political Regimes Agnes Cornell, Jørgen Møller and Svend-Erik Skaaning 11. International Relations and Diplomacy Jeremy A. Yellen 12. Global Institutions Daniel Gorman 13. Nongovernmental Organizations and Philanthropies Helke Rausch Identity and Ways of Life 14. Gender and Sexuality Marc Matera and Susan Kingsley Kent 15. Race and Ethnicity Jaehwan Hyun 16. The Middle Classes Christof Dejung 17. Religion and Spirituality John Tseh-han Chen 18. The Urban Ümit Fırat Açıkgöz and Ilham Khuri-Makdisi 19. The Rural Yves Segers Knowledge and Information 20. Communications and Media Leslie James and Emma Hunter 21. Humanities Humberto Beck 22. Social Sciences Małgorzata Mazurek 23. International Law Anne Holthoefer 24. Architecture Adedoyin Teriba 25. Natural Sciences Emily Kern and Michael J. Barany Ideologies and Practices 26. Capitalism Gerold Krozewski 27. Communism Arturo Zoffmann Rodriguez 28. Fascism Daniel Hedinger 29. Nationalism David Stenner, Deirdre Ruscitti Harshman and Matthew Harshman 30. Pan-Movements Meghna Chaudhuri and Sara Marzagora 31. Imperialism Takashi Fujitani 32. Anticolonialism and Anti-Imperialism Michael Goebel 33. Women’s Rights and Feminism Nova Robinson Trade and Production 34. Economic Plans Kyung Deok Roh 35. Global Trade and Protectionism Nikolay Kamenov 36. Industry Koji Hirata 37. Agriculture Vicente Pinilla and Henry Willebald 38. The Great Depression Tomoko Shiroyama Epilogue Antoinette Burton

About the Author :
Andrew Denning is Associate Professor of History at the University of Kansas, USA. His research focuses on histories of mobility, technology, the environment, and empire in the twentieth century and his publications have appeared in American Historical Review, The Atlantic, and Journal of Modern History. Heidi J.S. Tworek is Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia, Canada. She has published over 40 journal articles and book chapters on communications, health, international organizations, and business history plus the award-winning News from Germany (2019). She co-edits Journal of Global History.