Informing Interwar Internationalism: The League of Nations Information Service

In this episode, Emil Seidenfaden, an historian presently undertaking postdoctoral research at the Saxo Institute, University of Copenhagen, joined us to talk about his recent book, Informing Interwar Internationalism.

This fascinating work combines international history and media history and explores the intersection of journalism and diplomacy at the time of the League of Nations.

Emil talks about the relationship between public information and legitimacy, and how the Information Section officials at the League negotiated the tensions between propaganda, public opinion and internationalism.

Resources

Seidenfaden, E. E. (2024). Informing Interwar Internationalism: The Information Strategies of the League of Nations. Bloomsbury Academic. Histories of Internationalism

Seidenfaden, E. E. (2020). Daniel Hucker, Public Opinion and Twentieth-Century Diplomacy. A Global Perspective. Leiden: Brill.

Potter, S. J. (2023). Broadcasting in the Cause of Peace: Regulating International Radio Propaganda in Europe, 1921–1939. The International History Review, 45(6), 843–864. doi.org/10.1080/07075332.2023.2224352

Sweetser, A. (1916) Roadside Glimpses of the Great War. Macmillan. London.

Covenant of the League of Nations: libraryresources.unog.ch/ld.php?content_id=329…

The League of Nations Information Section: libraryresources.unog.ch/LONSecretariat/inform…

Emil’s book recommendation:

Cohen, D. (2023). Last Call at the Hotel Imperial. The Reporters Who Took On A World At War. Penguin Random House.

Where to listen to this episode

• Apple podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-page/id…

• Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/10fp8ROoVdve0el88KyFLy

• YouTube:

Content

Guest: Emil Seidenfaden

Host, producer and editor: Amy Smith

Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva