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Why is the discipline of "International Relations" overly focused on the US?
In light of @cullenhendrix & John Vreede excellent @Journal_of_GSS piece, it's worth reflecting on the early origins of IR as an academic discipline...[THREAD]
In light of @cullenhendrix & John Vreede excellent @Journal_of_GSS piece, it's worth reflecting on the early origins of IR as an academic discipline...[THREAD]
Prior to World War I, IR scholarship existed. But it was largely of two camps.
The first camp of early international relations scholarship focused on international law.
The two earliest papers in the APSR that could be labeled "IR scholarship" dealt with Canada being granted autonomous rule within the British Empire, and protests by the Japanese Government over discriminatory schooling laws in San Francisco (both in the May 1907 issue) 
The third IR paper in the APSR was a reflection on the Second Hague conference, published in the February 1908 issue
The second camp of early international relations scholarship dealt with colonialism and race relations.
Robert Vitalis focused on this camp in his excellent @CornellPress book
books.google.com/books?id=mBTRC…
books.google.com/books?id=mBTRC…
Most notably, the journal "Journal of Race and Development" started in 1910.
The editor's introduction to the journal has a very "Clashy" -- and, lets be honest, flat out racist -- tone to it
Not so fun fact...this journal eventually became the Journal of International Relations in 1919...
...which eventually became @ForeignAffairs in 1922 🤦♂️
More specifically, @ForeignAffairs was intended to "appeal to a wider public" than the "Journal of International Relations"
It is worth zooming in on one sentence of that passage.
The below sentence says that there was still an "unfilled" need for a journal to discuss questions of "international interest", primarily focused on the US (with Europe being covered "when it wishes to address itself")
The below sentence says that there was still an "unfilled" need for a journal to discuss questions of "international interest", primarily focused on the US (with Europe being covered "when it wishes to address itself")
Not a coincidence that it was 1919 when the "Journal of Race and Development" changed its name to the "Journal of International Relations": World War I had a profound influence on the field.
Indeed, WWI led to international relations becoming a proper academic field.
Indeed, WWI led to international relations becoming a proper academic field.
Consider Margaret & Gwendoline Davies, granddaughters of industrialist David Davies.
They served in the French Red Cross during World War I
They served in the French Red Cross during World War I
Their brother, David, served in the Welsh infrantry, and then was secretary to Lloyd George.
Having witnessed the horrors of war, they made a gift to @AberUni in 1918, with the intent of founding a chair "in memory of the fallen students of our University".
A goal was to develop an understanding the Woodrow Wilson's proposed League of Nations
A goal was to develop an understanding the Woodrow Wilson's proposed League of Nations
@InterpolAber was founded a year later, with the inaguaral Woodrow Wilson Chair of International Politics being Alfred Zimmer.
A useful summary of Zimmer's work and life are in this @RISjnl piece
A useful summary of Zimmer's work and life are in this @RISjnl piece
Zimmer would become synonmyous with the "idealist school" of international politics. These are the individuals the fourth Wilson Chair of International Politics, E.H. Carr, criticised in his influential "Twenty Years Crisis"
Following @InterpolAber, the @LSEIRDept was founded, also with funds from the Davies.
In the US, efforts to understand the League and Locarno led to establishing similar programs. Most notably, @UChicagoCIR in 1928
Of course, much happened following World War II to dramatically shape the discipline globally and in the United States, such as the founding of journals like @IntOrgJournal & @World_Pol.
But this brief overview of the early history of the discipline clearly shows the centrality of US academic institutions (@APSAtweets) or US figures (Wilson) in the origins of the field.
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