Hop off the Bandwagon! It's a Mass Movement, Not a Parade

Abstract

Thomas W. Zeiler's essay emerges from a long history of debates among U.S. foreign rela tions historians over current state and future prospects of their field. In recent years, much of discussion has grappled with feelings of marginalization within a discipline dominated by social and cultural approaches. Michael Hogan's 2004 essay, 'Next Big Thing': The Future of Diplomatic History a Global Age, is an important product of this debate. This article, derived from Hogan's address as outgoing president of Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (shafr), starts with good news: shafr members need not feel so isolated within profession, for historians are turning our way. But then comes bad: rather than following lead of diplomatic historians, their colleagues from other fields are breaking their own paths into inter national relations history One can make case that U.S. diplomatic historians are literally losing control of their field to specialists other disciplines, Hogan claims.1 He went on to admonish shafr members not to be left behind, to hitch themselves to rising stars of transnational, postcolonial, borderlands, and world history. This was not a triumphalist essay but a plan to stanch losses, to prevent colonization by forces that were intruding into home territory. Zeiler's account, contrast, puts U.S. foreign relations historians in driver's seat when it comes to study of America and world. They are steering profession new directions without losing sight of their old loyalties. Whereas Hogan urged foreign relations historians to grapple with international relationships outside nation and beyond state, Zeiler insists that state should remain central foreign relations history, if not all history. In Zeiler's essay, it is not foreign relations history that is need of restructuring, but rest of profession, which has, at great cost, neglected this crit ical locus of power. Whereas Hogan spoke of possibility that diplomatic history would be the next big thing, Zeiler booster has boldly pronounced its arrival.2 The gulf between these essays suggests that foreign relations history has changed years since Hogan's address, many ways consistent with his vision. The field is welcom ing new approaches, topics, and archival bases, and transnational turn is making U.S.