Alfred H. Fried and the Challenges for 'Scientific Pacifism' in the Belle Époque

In 1909, the Austro-German pacifist Alfred Hermann Fried and the Brussels-based Central Office of International Institutions published the Annuaire de la Vie Internationale. In over 1,300 pages, this yearbook summarised the proceedings of international congresses and a multidue of initiatives for cultural and political exchange. The chapter examines the history of the Annuaire and thus traces ideas and assumptions that underpinned pacifism in the Belle Époque. As editor of the periodical Die Friedenswarte, Fried was a major figure in the European peace movement, and he received the Nobel Peace Prize of 1911 in recognition of his efforts. Two years later, Henri La Fontaine - a Belgian Senator and one of the founders of the Central Office of International Institutions - gained the same accolade. By analysing the collaboration between activists in Vienna and Brussels, the chapter sheds light on the nature, extent and practicalities of transnational cooperation. Yet it also emphasises the limits of such endeavours. Tensions became evident at several levels - from minor misunderstandings to the conflicting responses to the Great War.