Cultural internationalism and world order - Iriye

As the 19th century became the 20th and the dangers of rampant nationalism became more evident, people throughout the world embraced the idea that a new spirit of internationalism might be fostered by better communication and understanding among nations. Cultural internationalism came into its own after the end of World War I, when intellectuals and artists realized that one way of forging a stable and lasting international peace was to encourage international cultural exchange and cooperation.;In "Cultural Internationalism and World Order", noted historian Akira Iriye shows how widespread and serious a following this idea had. He describes a surprising array of efforts to foster cooperation, from the creation of an international language, to student exchange programmes, to international lecture circuits, and other cultural activities. But he does not overlook the tensions the movement encountered with the real politics of the day, including the events leading up to World Wars I and II, the extreme nationalism of Germany and Japan, and the cold war after World War II. Iriye concludes that the effort of cultural internationalism can only be appreciated in the context of world politics. A lasting and stable world order, he argues, depends upon the open exchange of cultures and peoples.