Patriots and Pacifists: The Rhetorical Debate about Peace, Patriotism, and Internationalism, 1914-1930

Between 1914 and the late 1920s, peace organizations and their critics engaged in a debate over the meaning, importance, and value of certain ideological terms. While those critical of peace workers tried to link words like internationalism and pacifism to "un-American" ideas, peace groups responded by explaining that concern for international issues did not lead to disloyalty, that patriotic citizens wanted to protect their countries from wartime violence, and that verbal attacks against peace advocates violated American values such as free speech. The reciprocal nature of this discourse eventually helped the peace movement increase its influence in governmental affairs.