Preliminary Programme

At the end of the 19th century, the peace movement was a relatively marginal political phenomenon – not only, but also in Germany. The few activists and splinter groups did not catch on among the strongly militarized system of state and society of the Wilhelminian Empire that would be worth mentioning. It first took the horrible experience of World War I, the “the great seminal catastrophe of this [twentieth] century” (George F. Kennan), until the advocates of pacifist thought could act upon a broader and more promising basis now. Finally, the old dream of an “eternal peace” (Immanuel Kant) – and thus the creation of a “better world” as a world without war – seemed to have become a distinct possibility soon after.
On the basis of the paradigmatic slogan “No more war!”, the paper deals with the postwar plans for the future of the various sub-movements within the German peace movement. It points out the relevance of transnational ideas and activities (e.g., Mahatma Gandhi’s “Satyagraha” movement in British India) for pacifist concepts and campaigns under the political and social circumstances of the Weimar Republic. Furthermore, the paper examines the question of why and how the claim “no more war!” turned from an euphoric movement with mass appeal and great visions for human perfectibilization shortly after World War I into almost nothing but increasing disillusionment and seemingly inevitable (self-)marginalization at the end of the 1920s.
Several contemporary publications from a broad interdisciplinary spectrum (e.g., academic articles, fictional literature, political pamphlets) shall be taken into account to discuss internal quarrels (e.g., the “pacifists’ war”) and external hostile agitations (especially from the camp of the political far right) towards pacifist protagonists.
In order to show how the honorable pacifist ideal – being expressed by the admonition “No more war!” – turned out to be a hollow illusion at last, the paper is arranged as follows:
1.) Introduction
2.) From “Great War” to “Eternal Peace”? – Pacifist ideals and political realities (1918-1928)
3.) From “pacifists’ war” to Second World War – Peace moved trench wars and Nazi final blows (1929-1933)
4.) Conclusion (Show less)

1. Slovak economic elites in Austro-Hungary and their strategy in the years of WW1 – loyalty against national interests, national interests against profit
2. The same Slovak economic elites after dissolution of Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and in the Czechoslovakia – national interests and profit are corresponding on their side
(in comparison with the Hungarians and Jews)
3. Slovak economic elites in Russia before 1917 – loyalty and profit are corresponding on their side – support of war aims of Entente
4. Slovak economic elites in Russia between February and November 1917 – loyalty, national interests and profit are corresponding on their side – support of war aims of Entente
5. Slovak economic elites in Russia after November 1917 – national and business interests against the Bolshevik state
6. Slovak economic elites in the USA – loyalty, national interests and profit are corresponding on their side – support of war aims of Entente
(Show less)

The paper informs on the development of high-ranking civil servants in North Moravia and Silesia cities in the late 19th and first half of the 20th century in the context of modernization processes. The high-ranking civil servants were very important part of the elite urban societies. The paper compares living conditions, lifestyles, family strategies, symbolisms, career and hierarchies and social status of high-ranking civil servants for too periods: Habsburg monarchy and Czechoslovak Republic. The paper describes relationship between high-ranking civil servants and media (newspaper). The paper includes methodological and conceptual questions. (Show less)