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Author Lavin, Deborah

Title From empire to international commonwealth : a biography of Lionel Curtis / Deborah Lavin
Published Oxford [England] : Clarendon Press ; New York : Oxford University Press, 1995

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Description 1 online resource (x, 373 pages)
Summary Lionel Curtis C.H. once counted among the great and good, working behind the scenes of international politics and honoured as the 'pioneer of a great idea' - international federation as the natural successor to empire. He advocated federation as the way to create a new South Africa after the Boer War; he called for self-government in India in 1912; in 1921 he was instrumental in attempting to pacify the Irish Troubles by treating Eire as if it were a self-governing Commonwealth Dominion. He went on to preach the conversion of the Empire-Commonwealth into a multinational federation, which, in association with the United States, would serve as a model for a united Europe, and even for world government
He founded the Round Table think-tank, the Royal Institute of International Affairs at Chatham House, and the Oxford Society. He lobbied indefatigably for his vision of the Commonwealth as a new world order, to be more effective than the League of Nations in making wars obsolete. In the process, he exasperated nationalists and imperialists alike as a prophet of apparently lost causes. He deserves to be remembered not only for what he achieved but for what he was: the bore who never lost a friend; the optimist who stuck to his belief when all was lost; the third-class scholar who became a Fellow of All Souls; the visionary riding his hobby-horse into the drawing rooms of high political society and yet invited affectionately to return. The remarkable character of the man and the influence he exerted on the history of the Empire and Commonwealth are explored in this authoritative biography
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 332-349) and index
Notes Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL
English
digitized 2010 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve pda MiAaHDL
Print version record
Subject Curtis, Lionel, 1872-1955.
SUBJECT Curtis, Lionel, 1872-1955. fast (OCoLC)fst00351821
Subject Commonwealth of Nations -- History -- Biography
SUBJECT Commonwealth of Nations. fast (OCoLC)fst00678141
Subject International relations -- History -- 20th century
Political scientists -- Great Britain -- Biography
Internationalists -- Great Britain -- Biography
Politicians -- Great Britain -- Biography
British colonies.
International relations.
Internationalists.
Political scientists.
Politicians.
Politici.
Britse Rijk.
SUBJECT Great Britain -- Colonies -- History -- 20th century -- Biography
Commonwealth countries -- History -- 20th century -- Biography
Subject Commonwealth countries.
Great Britain.
Genre/Form Biographies.
History.
Form Electronic book
ISBN 9780191671623
0191671622