Zurich–Paris. Peace Terms at the International Congress of Women (1919)

Abstract

This contribution on the history of international law examines the Peace Terms at the International Congress of Women in Zurich in May 1919 from the perspective of the sociology of international systems. The Zurich Conference represents a dynamic development in international legal thinking. Criticism of the Treaty of Versailles broke through the language of the social sphere and transformed it into a legal language that understood equality for all as an indispensable prerequisite for rebuilding a peaceful world. The focus is both on the ideas for the framework conditions for an international organization that would bring lasting peace and on the idea of social change at the national and international levels. The Women's International League for Peace and Freedom is not only similar to the League of Nations in name: despite their different legal nature, there are numerous points of contact and interactions between them, which are examined in this article. Both the historical and legal background are presented to contextualize the events of 1919 in Zurich. The concerns of 1919 have lost none of their relevance today.