Organizing International Society: The French Peace Movement and the Origins of Reformist Internationalism, 1821-1853 By Vanessa Fabius Lincoln A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Carla Hesse, Chair Professor Thomas Laqueur Professor Sarah Song Fall 2013 Copyright 2013 by Vanessa Fabius Lincoln 1 Abstract Organizing International Society: The French Peace Movement and the Origins of Reformist Internationalism, 1821-1853 by Vanessa Fabius Lincoln Doctor of Philosophy in History University of California, Berkeley Professor Carla Hesse, Chair This dissertation seeks to contribute to the history of internationalism through an examination of the early nineteenth century French peace movement. It argues that the French movement contributed to the international peace movement both in theory and practice, by drawing on the intellectual heritage of the Enlightenment to make peace the subject of organized activism. The early nineteenth century international peace movement is seen as the work of Dissenting sects in Britain and America, with the assistance of Free Traders like Richard Cobden. The French peace advocates’ ideological roots, in contrast, can be found in the Enlightenment – in the peace thinking of the philosophes, but also in debates on economy, culture, religion, politics, etc. They drew upon the work of particular authors like Jean-Baptiste Say, Adam Smith and Immanuel Kant, but above all continued general Enlightenment notions like historical progress and human perfectability. This intellectual heritage helped French peace advocates to imagine a distinct model of international cooperation, one in which political, cultural and economic borders remained in flux. It also gave them the tools to denounce colonialism – all while attempting to maintain forms of soft power for French ‘civilization’. French peace advocates were more restricted than American and British pacifists in their forms of activism, but they also published a wide range of materials on peace, developed arguments for peace within associations, and participated in and promoted the international congresses. Through these practices, French peace advocates contributed to the development of civil society, nationally and internationally. A study of their movement shows how and why this transition from philosophy to organized action became possible. Often dismissed as utopian, the history of the early peace movement can help us to better understand the development of French, European and international history. Like many groups in the early nineteenth century, French peace advocates were deeply optimistic about their program and their potential agency. However, this seemingly utopian program continues to have considerable resonance today, in contemporary international institutions as well as in ongoing debates about democracy and political change. i For my family ii Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………………………iii INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………...1 1 The Politics of Peace: The French Peace Movement and the Development of Nineteenth- Century Internationalisms……………………………………………………………….13 2 From Christian Philanthropy to Reformist Internationalism: The Religious Peace Advocates………………………………………………………………………………..29 3 The Political Economy of War and Peace……………………………………………….47 4 Towards International Confederation: Political and Institutional Solutions for Perpetual Peace……………………………………………………………………………………..70 5 International Peace Congresses: Organizing International Pacifism in the Mid-Nineteenth Century…………………………………………………………………………………...90 CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………110 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………………117 iii Acknowledgements A special thanks, firstly, to Professor Carla Hesse, the Chair of my Dissertation Committee. Her insight and dedication have inspired me from the first semester that I took a class from her, and continue to give me motivation in my own work. I have had the good fortune to participate in her research projects and get much feedback for my own. I greatly appreciate how available she has remained these recent years, always finding time for a phone call or a dinner in Paris just when I needed her help. Professor Thomas Laqueur, the Chair of my Orals Committee, has offered important commentary along the way, from the proposal to the final draft. I do not know if I have answered all of his questions, but I will keep trying. The breadth of his intellectual interests and knowledge never ceases to impress me. Professor Sarah Song agreed to take me on as a student despite her busy schedule, and has offered much food for thought in comparing today’s cosmopolitanism with the story I describe. Her thoughtful questions and earnest listening have given me yet another example of what a sincere teacher and scholar can be today. A special thanks also to all the professors who have helped me in France, particularly Dominique Kalifa, Sylvie Aprile and Jean-Luc Chappey. I look forward to continuing our exchanges in the future. Many friends have helped me over the years through thought-provoking intellectual exchanges, mutual support and well-deserved breaks. Thank you to all of my classmates at Berkeley, particularly Tehila Sasson, Ali Weiss, Brandon Schechter, Alice Goff, Jenni Allen, Mirjam Voerkelius and Kailani Polzak. In Paris, Laura O’Brien was a generous resource and welcome friend. I look forward to reading all of your work in the future and to sharing more dinners, drinks, weekend trips and skype calls. I have been very lucky to be part of such a talented community and hope that we all stay in touch as we continue our academic migrations. This dissertation is dedicated to my family – most of all, my parents, brother and husband, who have shown unending support and patience throughout all these years of intellectual and geographical backs and forth. Without the love, understanding and encouragement of my family, I do not know where I would be today. 1 Introduction “The changes which tend permanently to elevate and refine humanity must be brought about by gentler, quieter, and more invisible influences…They who were courageously wielding those influences, diffusing information, stimulating intelligence, attracting and refining the sympathies of men, were engaged in a more practical work than ever they would be in resorting to statesmen with their intrigues and their standing armies…This was the special business of the Congress – to lift up to such a conspicuous position as would attract towards it the attention of all nations the principle they sought to commend.”1 - Émile de Girardin, speech to the Third General Peace Congress, Frankfurt, Germany, 1850 Aims of the Dissertation In today’s globalizing world, the deep histories of transnational movements and mechanisms have attracted much interest. Scholars have examined processes of economic integration, the history of international institutions, the development of transnational social activism and many other elements of global integration. This dissertation reconstructs the history of French participation in one of the first internationalist movements – the international peace movement of the early nineteenth century. Arising in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars, the movement came to unite a variety of figures throughout Europe and America – pastors and priests, lawyers, politicians, political economists, authors and journalists – in a series of highly- publicized international congresses to promote a concrete agenda for sustainable international peace. These ‘peace friends’ called for international arbitration, international law, a Congress of Nations, an international court, arms reduction, and education reform. Outside of the congresses, members of the movement promoted this agenda by publishing tracts, pamphlets, books, poetry, and journal articles; founding journals on the subject of peace; holding large public meetings; and forming committees and associations. It was one of the world’s first transnational and internationalist movements. This dissertation pushes against conceptions of the early international peace movement as an “Anglo-American” phenomenon, demonstrating that French participants had a unique and important role to play in the movement and in the birth of internationalism more generally. It argues that the French movement contributed to the development of international society both in theory and practice. Like their British and American counterparts, French peace advocates published a wide range of materials on the question of peace, debated it in associations, and participated in and promoted the international congresses. Intellectually, the French movement added new dimensions. Drawing on Enlightenment thought and responding to the political and material conditions of the ‘Dual Revolutions’, the French peace movement offered a more secular, historically-minded and civilizational vision of perpetual peace.2 The dissertation identifies their movement as “reformist internationalism”, a position between contemporaneous conservative and revolutionary internationalisms that, I will argue, would have an essential legacy for the Europe of the future. Contributions to Scholarship 1 Report of the Proceedings of the Third General Peace Congress, Held in Frankfort, The 22nd, 23rd and 24th August, 1850. Compiled from Authentic Documents under the Superintendence of the Peace