It is natural that the advocates of international Peace should sometimes grow discouraged and impatient through what they are tempted to consider the slow progress of their cause. Sudden outbursts of popular feeling, selfish plans for national aggrandisement, unremoved causes of antipathy between neighbours, lead them to overlook the general tendency of circumstances and opinions which, when it is regarded on a large scale, is sufficient to justify their loftiest hopes. It is this general tendency of thought and fact, corresponding to the maturer growth of peoples, which brings to us the certain assurance that the Angelic Hymn which welcomed the Birth of Christ advances, slowly it may be as men count slowness, but at least unmistakably, towards fulfilment. There are pauses and interruptions in the movement; but, on the whole, no one who patiently regards the course of human history can doubt that we are drawing nearer from generation to generation to a practical sense of that brotherhood and that solidarity of men-both words are necessary-which find their foundation and their crown in the message of the Gospel.

It is natural that the advocates of international Peace should sometimes grow discouraged and impatient through what they are tempted to consider the slow progress of their cause. Sudden outbursts of popular feeling, selfish plans for national aggrandisement, unremoved causes of antipathy between neighbours, lead them to overlook the general tendency of circumstances and opinions which, when it is regarded on a large scale, is sufficient to justify their loftiest hopes. It is this general tendency of thought and fact, corresponding to the maturer growth of peoples, which brings to us the certain assurance that the Angelic Hymn which welcomed the Birth of Christ advances, slowly it may be as men count slowness, but at least unmistakably, towards fulfilment. There are pauses and interruptions in the movement; but, on the whole, no one who patiently regards the course of human history can doubt that we are drawing nearer from generation to generation to a practical sense of that brotherhood and that solidarity of men-both words are necessary-which find their foundation and their crown in the message of the Gospel.

This book studies examples of peace movements of the last 110 years, from the conflict between Norway and Sweden in 1905 to the debate on military intervention in Syria in 2013. It looks at the impact these movements have had on the prevention or the ending of wars. It looks at the impact these movements may have had on the prevention or the ending of wars their own governments were engaging in. - Norway-Sweden 1905 - the movement against the Vietnam war in the 1960s and early 1970s - the movement against the support of the Contras in Nicaragua in the 1980s - the peace movement of the 1980s against nuclear weapons - the case of the Women in White in Liberia in 2002-2003 - the movement against the Iraq war in 1991 - the movement against the Iraq war in 2003

As the centenary of the Treaty of Versailles approaches, this book presents the pre-1914 precursors to the interwar naval arms treaties arising from the peace of 1919, providing a fresh perspective on arms control efforts through an interdisciplinary approach. Interweaving historical investigation with legal analysis, Scott Keefer traces the British role in the development of naval arms control, outlining the pragmatic Foreign Office approaches towards international law. By emphasizing what was possible within the existing legal system rather than attempting to create radically powerful international institutions, statesmen crafted treaties to exploit the unique pace of naval construction. Utilizing previously-overlooked archival resources, this book investigates how the great powers exploited treaties as elements of national security strategies. The result is a fuller analysis of the Hague Peace Conferences, Anglo-German discussions, and lesser known regional agreements from the American Great Lakes to South America, and a richer exploration of pre-1914 diplomacy, providing insights into how a past generation perceived questions of war and defence.

Peace movements became a part of the national landscapes of British, American, and European politics in the nineteenth century, reaching their peak during the European arms race of 1889-1914. This study examines the history of European peace movements from the end of the Napoleonic wars to the beginning of the First World War, analysing their methods and influence, and examining their ideological underpinnings and internal conflicts.