Transnational Mobilisation on behalf of Political Prisoners: Humanitarianism and Political Activism in Interwar America

Autor(en)

Elena Bacchin

Abstrakt

This paper examines transnational mobilisation on behalf of political prisoners during the interwar period, with a focus on the International Committee for Political Prisoners (ICPP). Founded in New York in 1924 by American left-wing activists, the ICPP aimed to advocate for foreign political detainees regardless of their political affiliation. Despite its pioneering role, the Committee has received little attention in historical research, often being reduced to its advocacy for Soviet prisoners. Operating at the intersection of humanitarianism and rights advocacy, the ICPP combined traditional and innovative campaigning methods, such as pub- lications, petitions, fundraising and lobbying, to raise global awareness, improve prisoners’ conditions and secure their release. Moreover, the Committee occupied a unique position be- tween overtly partisan associations, such as the International Red Aid, and more neutral actors, such as the Red Cross. Drawing on the ICPP’s early minutes and statutes, this study explores the Committee’s founding debates, its ambiguous relationship with communism, and its at- tempts to reconcile political engagement with humanitarian aims. By analysing these records, the article contextualises the ICPP within the broader framework of interwar internationalism, demonstrating how the experience of political repression shaped humanitarian practices and the evolving discourse of rights in the twentieth century.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Geschichte

Journal

Contemporanea. Rivista di storia dell'800 e del '900

Band

XXVIII

Seiten

419-445

ISSN

1127-3070

Publikationsdatum

2025

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

601014 Neuere Geschichte

Schlagwörter

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/dc033fac-faba-497b-8899-cace324bed63