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Pioneers in International Administration: A Prosopography of the Directors of the League of Nations Secretariat

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  • Kahlert Torsten

    (Department of History and Classical Studies, Aarhus University, Jens Chr. Skous Vej 5, Aarhus8000, Denmark)

Abstract

This article investigates interwar internationalism from the perspective of the highest personnel of the first large-scale international administration, the League of Nations Secretariat. It applies a prosopographical approach in order to map out the development of the composition of the group of the section directors of the Secretariat over time in terms of its social and cultural characteristics and career trajectories. The analysis of gender, age, nationality, as well as educational and professional backgrounds and careers after their service for the League’s Secretariat gives insight on how this group changed over time and what it tells us about interwar internationalism. I have three key findings to offer in this article: First, the Secretariat was far from being a static organization. On the contrary, the Secretariat’s directors developed in three generations each with distinct characteristics. Second, my analysis demonstrates a clear trend towards professionalization and growing maturity of the administration over time. Third, the careers of the directors show a clear pattern of continuity across the Second World War and beyond. Even though the careers continued in different organizational contexts, the majority of the directors remained closely connected to the world of internationalism of the League, the UN world and its surrounding organizations. On a methodological level, the article offers an example of how prosopographical analysis can be used to study international organizations.

Suggested Citation

  • Kahlert Torsten, 2019. "Pioneers in International Administration: A Prosopography of the Directors of the League of Nations Secretariat," New Global Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 13(2), pages 191-228, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:nglost:v:13:y:2019:i:2:p:191-228:n:1
    DOI: 10.1515/ngs-2018-0039
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tollardo Elisabetta, 2016. "International Experts or Fascist Envoys? Alberto Theodoli and Pietro Stoppani at the League of Nations," New Global Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 10(3), pages 1-12, December.
    2. Auberer Benjamin, 2016. "Digesting the League of Nations: Planning the International Secretariat of the Future, 1941–1944," New Global Studies, De Gruyter, vol. 10(3), pages 1-17, December.
    3. Clavin, Patricia, 2013. "Securing the World Economy: The Reinvention of the League of Nations, 1920-1946," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199577934.
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