Next Week - The Interpreters: British Internationalism and Empire in Southeastern Europe, 1870-1930

The Interpreters

British Internationalism and Empire in Southeastern Europe, 1870-1930

Monday, October 21, 2024

12:15 - 1:45 pm

Elliott School of International Affairs

1957 E St NW | Washington, DC 20052

Voesar Conference Room | Suite 412

This talk will offer a deep dive into the intellectual and political legacies of British historians, journalists, and intellectuals—known as “the interpreters”—who shaped and engaged with the national questions of southeastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This project traces how these figures navigated the complexities of empire, nationalism, and diplomacy in a rapidly changing European landscape. Through their writings and actions, they left an indelible mark on both British and southeastern European history, influencing debates about liberty, federalism, and national identity. From Arnold Toynbee’s work on Greece and Turkey to James Bryce’s involvement with Armenia, the interpreters’ legacies remain contentious, yet crucial, in understanding the tangled histories of the Balkans and beyond. This talk will shed light on their contributions and lasting impact, revealing how their ideas continue to shape modern-day discussions of history, nationalism, and international relations.

Speaker

Georgios Giannakopoulos is a historian and Associate Dean at City, St. George’s University of London. His research focuses on the intellectual and political history of Britain and southeastern Europe, with a particular interest in the intersections of empire, nationalism, and internationalism. He has published extensively on the intellectual networks that shaped the politics of southeastern Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. He is an associate editor in the Journal of Modern Greek Studies and sits on the executive board of the Society of Modern Greek Studies (UK) and the Greek Politics Specialist Group (UK). His first book, The Interpreters: British Internationalism and Empire in Southeastern Europe 1870-1930, is forthcoming with Manchester University Press.

Moderator

Harris Mylonas is an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Affairs at The George Washington University and Editor-in-Chief of Nationalities Papers. His work contributes to our understanding of states’ management of diversity that may originate from national minorities, immigrants, diasporas, or refugees. Mylonas penned the award-winning The Politics of Nation-Building: Making Co-Nationals, Refugees, and Minorities (Cambridge University Press, 2012), and co-authored Varieties of Nationalism: Communities, Narratives, Identities (Cambridge University Press, 2023; with Maya Tudor). He has co-edited Enemies Within: Fifth Column Politics in Comparative Perspective (Oxford University Press, 2022; with Scott Radnitz) and The Microfoundations of Diaspora Politics (Routledge, 2022; with Alexandra Délano Alonso).

This event is on record and open to the media.

Photo Credit: Colomb, J. C. R. (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic)

The Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (IERES)

Elliott School of International Affairs, George Washington University

1957 E Street, NW / Suite 412 / Washington, DC 20052

Tel (202) 994-6340 / Fax (202) 994-5436 / Email ieresgwu@gwu.edu

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