ABSTRACT
The conflicting moods in Europe in the 1920s were the disillusionment about the promises of La Belle Époque and the hope for a future without war. Slogans such as “Peace to End All Wars,” however empty they may have sounded, encouraged those who envisioned a peaceful continent. Despite the rise of irredentism and the growing scare of worldwide revolution, celebrated events such as the signing of the Treaty of Locarno (1925) and the Kellogg-Briand Pact (1928) captivated European audiences with their positive messages.1 However, by the 1930s, very little was left of these hopeful ruminations on future peace. While international pacifist organizations continued to advance the dream of perpetual peace, the political language of the 1930s stressed revanchism and the social Darwinist competition between nations.
