Against the World

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Before the First World War, enthusiasm for a borderless world peaked, with international travel, migration, trade, and progressive movements flourishing. However, an undercurrent of reaction was rising, which surged with the war and its aftermath. In this sweeping historical work, Tara Zahra explores how nationalism overtook internationalism in early twentieth-century politics. The globalist momentum waned with the war, leading to immigration quotas and trade tariffs across the U.S. and Europe, where societal upheaval followed war and disease. The "Spanish flu" intensified fears about national boundaries, while the 1929 economic crash and the Great Depression sparked a quest for food security and economic autonomy. Responses to globalization's instability and inequality shaped various political landscapes, from Gandhi's India to America's New Deal and Hitler's regime. Immigration restrictions, racially defined citizenship, anti-Semitism, and violent xenophobia became prevalent, culminating in the genocidal horrors of the Second World War. Many sought refuge from perceived threats of the global economy, echoing contemporary movements for local goods and sustainable communities. Rich in detail from Zahra's extensive archival research, this work provides a poignant examination of resistance to globalization, making it essential reading to understand today's divided political climate.