Interwar Research Articles

"Prototypic personality disorder" and the social issue: The category of psychopathy in Polish psychiatry in the interwar period.

The category of psychopathy has a long history, and its meaning has undergone a notable evolution since its conception in the 19th century. The history of psychopathy has been concentrating mainly on English- and German-speaking psychopathology. This article investigates definitions of psychopathy, its classification, and social issues associated with this category in Polish psychiatry in the interwar period. Polish definitions of psychopathy were influenced predominantly by Ernst Kretschmer's constitutional theory as well as by Eugen Kahn's, William Stern's, and Kurt Schneider's ideas. The term was generally understood as a borderline category denoting states between health and mental illness. As those states could manifest differently, it was thought to be many psychopathies. Two Polish psychiatrists, Maurycy Bornsztajn and Jakub Frostig, presented comprehensive classifications of psychopathies. Social issues associated with the category of psychopathy concentrated on three topics: psychopathy in children as a problem of the prevention of mental disorders; psychopathy as a problem of the justice system, the penitentiary, and military systems; and psychopathy as an issue of eugenics and social usefulness. Polish psychiatrists highlighted the need for the development of national institutions for the care of psychopathic children. Issues of accountability and insanity of psychopaths from the point of view of forensic psychiatry were also discussed. In conclusion, psychopathy in interwar Polish psychiatry was not just one of the personality disorders-it denoted the whole spectrum of characterological disturbances; thus, it rather corresponds to the modern category of personality disorders than to the contemporary understanding of psychopathy. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The Pulawian sabres of John III

The collection of national memorabilia of Princess Izabela Czartoryska née Flemming played a momentous role in the formation of Polish collecting in the sentimental-romantic trend. However, the surviving Puławy collection, which is one of the pillars of the collection of the Czartoryski Princes Museum in Cracow, are still insufficiently known. The collection was housed in Puławy for less than thirty years, only to disperse a few decades later and be reunited in Cracow within a process that had been underway since the early 1870s. In this period, especially during the seemingly tranquil years of la belle époque and later in the inter-war years, the Czartoryski collections were studied in new research perspectives and treated with an increasing caution and reserved criticism. An interesting element of this group is the set of arms that used to belong to King John III, whose memory was particularly revered in Puławy. The local tradition attributed as many as six sabres to him. Have these artefacts survived to the present day and can we truly associate them with the monarch? The present paper attempts to answer these questions.

Feminism and Antifeminism in Romanian Theatre Criticism in Interwar Years

In Romania, during the interwar years, it seems that theatre reviews – much like theatre criticism in general, narrowly as it was and sometimes continues to be defined in Romania – was only considered legitimate if signed by men. There were but two timid exceptions, two female voices whose writings were partially recovered as late as 1978-1983 and have been insufficiently explored since: the poet and memoirist Otilia Cazimir, who worked as an inspector for the Ministry of Arts’ Theatre Directorate for a decade, and the aesthetics professor Alice Voinescu. This paper is an attempt to turn the spotlight not onto the two writers’ theatre-related activity, but rather to the way they engaged, in writing or in action, with the thorny issues of feminism. Their opposing standpoints – a feminism of emancipation vs. an anti-feminist type of feminism – still proves emblematic to our day for the specific way in which socio-cultural mentalities and perceptions on women’s condition in 20th-century Romania were preserved; it appears that post-socialist theatre criticism, especially from the decade 2000-2010, coalesced around the same positions.

Exploring the Dutch Bruynzeel Kitchen Through the Negotiations of Its Two Designers, Limperg and Zwart

During the interwar period, numerous endeavours were made to develop a rational kitchen, also called a laboratory kitchen, namely one that prioritised labour-saving efficiency through thoughtful layout and design. Catherine Beecher's work is often credited as its starting point. By synthesising household reformers' experiences and architects’ design expertise, scholars have extensively examined how rational kitchens evolved. This paper discusses the conception of the standardised Dutch Bruynzeel Kitchen (1938) by the collaborative efforts of two designers with distinct yet complementary interior design profiles. Renowned Dutch designer Piet Zwart, widely recognised for his contributions, finalised the technical drawings and promotional materials for this iconic kitchen. Less acknowledged is the early involvement of Dutch architect Koen Limperg, son of a business economics professor, who drew the preliminary designs. Interestingly, this kitchen design was developed while body culture emerged in the Netherlands. Complementing already existing research from art history, anthropology, the history of technology, and gender studies, this paper, based on literature and archive research, investigates through an interior design lens how both designers integrated their respective practices and expertise into the Bruynzeel Kitchen's design, incorporating elements of physical activities (dance, gym, sports) and household economics.

Preparation and implementation of the “Greater Albania” project: historical and geopolitical aspects (1944-1980s)

The Kosovo issue is currently “settled” by the actual functioning of the Republic of Kosovo and by providing it with all the attributes of statehood during the Belgrade-Pristina negotiations (completeness of territory, border, customs, army, independent telecommunications and electricity system, international telephone number, etc.). When studying the Kosovo problem, it is logical to raise the question: why and how it was resolved in this particular way, what were the internal and external factors that ensured the stunning success of the separatist Pristina, which achieved an unprecedented permission for the Albanians, bypassing international and domestic law, for another national self-determination in the form creation of a second state? Often, when talking about the Kosovo confl ict, the hot phase of which occurred in 1998–1999, the main focus is on the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and their Western and non-Western patrons. However, no paramilitary unit that is relatively small in number, extremely weak in military training, and has a sabotage and punitive nature, even with external support, is capable of achieving a goal of this level in such a short period of time. It would take decades to prepare for its implementation — and they were at the disposal of Albanian tribal leaders and socially signifi cant fi gures who managed to ensure their interests in this way (the issue was not caring for the Albanian people, only gaining infl uence and extracting specifi c material benefi ts). Albanian organizations of the interwar period (Kosovo Committee, 1918–1925) and the leaders of the bandits, who psychologically and emotionally consolidated the practice of terror against the Serbs of Kosmet, laid a “strong foundation”. However, post-war Albanian emigration played a key role in the Kosovo confl ict of the 1990s. Moreover, Albanian emigration is also not a random phenomenon; it has a consistent development and direct historical continuity from Albanian organizations since the end of the 19th century. The article analyzes the Albanian nationalist organizations created in Kosovo and Metohija at the fi nal stage of the Second World War, as well as the political organizations of the Albanian emigration of the post-war period, identifying the continuity of ideology and practice that laid a solid foundation and created the conditions for the emergence of the Kosovo Liberation Army and political movements that ensured the creation of the Republic of Kosovo.

Rockland State Hospital: A Case Approach to Teaching the History of Psychology

Background: Teaching and learning about the history of the profession is consistent with APA's 2023 guidelines for the undergraduate major, a profession-wide competency for graduate students in health service psychology, and important for all students. Objective: The purpose of this article is to present a historical case study with materials for teaching and learning about the historical context, including mental health treatments and patient demographics, during the interwar period at Rockland State Hospital (RSH) in New York. Method: We thematically reviewed and analyzed primary source archival documents, treatment reports, period peer-reviewed journals, related newspaper articles, and publicly available U.S. census data. Results: The theories, diagnostic terminology, and treatments in use at RSH during the interwar period are showcased. This was a pivotal time in the history of psychology. Conclusion: The method and results offer opportunities for teaching and learning about the history of psychology including treatment of marginalized and vulnerable populations. Teaching Implications: Institutionalization in the interwar period offers multiple opportunities for teaching and learning in psychology. The findings can be used in conjunction with discussion questions in the classroom setting. Teaching about the past provides a feedback loop to inform current and future practice.

The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and the Beginning of World War II as Perceived by Soviet Citizens: New Sources and Interpretations

Abstract After the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was signed, a new historical phase began for the whole of Europe, marked by a sharp escalation of international conflict and the imminent outbreak of World War II. For Soviet citizens, these events were particularly traumatic because they also meant a sudden turn toward peace with Germany. The news of the signing of the Soviet-German Non-Aggression pact was received by Soviet citizens with mixed feelings. Many of them did not understand why yesterday’s Enemy No. 1 was suddenly turned into Ally No. 1, and what to expect from this partnership. In searching for the rationale for this agreement, the Soviet people were inclined to take a positive view of the pact, and then a negative one. A detailed analysis of the transformation of the public mood makes it possible to identify the internal problems of Soviet society, which manifested themselves expressively in the first weeks of World War II. This study also draws attention to the problem of Soviet people’s trust in official sources of information; to the impact of war scares of the interwar period on Soviet society; and to the influence of the ideas of the world proletarian revolution on the perception of the events of late August and early September 1939. The study is based on the accounts of the predominantly Russian population of the Soviet Union and presents the perspective of this ethnic group.

Duel of Germanists: The debate between Elemér Moór, Elemér Schwartz and Walter Steinhauser about the population history of Burgenland

AbstractIn this paper I focus my attention on the debate between three renowned Germanists of the interwar period: Elemér Moór, Elemér Schwartz and Walter Steinhauser. Their discussion of the population history of Burgenland can serve as a case study of knowledge production. This was a discourse in which the relationship between science and politics or the boundary between scholarship and dilettantism were often tested. Relying on both published material (their books and papers) and unpublished sources (correspondence, commission reports) I analyse the different standpoints of the three scholars and show the development of their rivalry. At the end of my paper, I will draw some lessons concerning the history of historical writing.

Theatre in Greece during the Interwar Period: A General Overview

Theatre in Greece during the Interwar Period: A General Overview

Rethinking post-Ottoman space through the ordinary: garages, hotels and cafés between Syria and Iraq, 1920s–1930s

ABSTRACT This article examines the reconfiguration of post-Ottoman space in the Mashriq during the interwar period. It does so by delving into ordinary places, actors and practices, particularly garages, hotels, petrol stations and cafés along the trans-desert routes connecting Syria and Iraq. By investigating the interactions between stationary workers and mobile individuals in these settings, it presents a decentred and bottom-up perspective on how space was experienced, contested and reshaped in the region. Drawing from a diverse range of sources, the article explores how ordinary actors sought to reclaim and shape space for their own purposes, highlighting their potential and actual roles in the reconfiguration of post-Ottoman space. On the one hand, it reveals that their economic activities were marginalised by the dominant agenda to restructure space for capitalist and imperialist interests through automotive technology. On the other, it demonstrates that ordinary actors played a substantial role in the formation of lived spaces spanning Syria and Iraq, as well as in reshaping the fabric, economy and meaning of places within these regions.

<i>Ženski list</i>

Objective. The aim of this paper is to explore the development and changes in the publishing policy of the women's magazine Ženski list, whose chief editor was Marija Jurić Zagorka. The magazine was published during the interwar period and significantly influenced the residents of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and emigrants abroad with its content. Approach/Methodology. The analysis of the magazine was conducted based on the most visually striking and/or important issues from each year of publication, totaling 14 issues. The analysis included the number of pages, quantity of illustrations and advertisements, citation of responsibility data, and graphic and thematic changes in the magazine design. Sources from the Stare novine portal and the Center for Women's Studies were used. Results. The paper provides a brief historical overview of women's magazines worldwide, in Europe, and in the Kingdom of SHS/Yugoslavia. Furthermore, Marija Jurić Zagorka is highlighted as the journalist, and editor, followed by an analysis of the magazine issues. The uniqueness of this magazine lies in achieving high circulation and reaching readers from all social circles. Despite financial difficulties due to the non-receipt of subscriptions and economic crises, the magazine, in its 14 years of publication, kept up with innovations in the layout of visual and textual contributions. A significant increase in illustrations and advertisements is noted, indicating the magazine's close connection to its social environment, especially businesses and shops in Zagreb. There is also an observed increase in attributing authors to texts and photos or indicating the source from which the content was taken, demonstrating the editorial understanding of the concept of intelectual property. Originality/Value. This paper provides an overview of publishing and editorial practices. In addition to technical characteristics, the paper offers a partial insight into the magazine's content, placing it in the context of publishing for women, by women, in the 1920s and 1930s.

The birth of StatPhys: the 1949 Florence conference at the juncture of national and international physics reconstruction after World War II

In spring 1949 about 70 physicists from eight countries met in Florence to discuss recent trends in statistical mechanics. This scientific gathering, co-organized by the Commission on Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) and the Italian Physical Society (SIF), initiated a tradition of IUPAP-sponsored international conferences on statistical mechanics that lasts to this day. In 1977, when this conference series took the name of StatPhys, the foundational role of the Florence conference was recognized by retrospectively naming it StatPhys1. This paper examines the dual scientific and social significance of the conference, situating it in the broader contexts of the post-World War II reconstruction in Italian physics and of the revitalization of the international science organization. Through an analysis of IUPAP archives and Italian records, we illustrate how the event’s success hinged on the aligned objectives of its organizers. Internationally, it was instrumental in defining the scientific and organizational foundations for the activities of IUPAP commissions during a critical phase of IUPAP’s history, when the Union was resurging on the international scene after the inactivity of the interwar period. Nationally, the conference served as a cornerstone in SIF’s strategy to re-establish Italian physics’ international stature and to aid the domestic revitalization of physics through the internationalization of its activities, notably of its flagship journal, Il Nuovo Cimento. This analysis not only sheds light on the conference’s impact but also informs recent discussions in the history of science about the multiple roles of international scientific conferences.

Politics in Sport Facility Development in Budapest, 1863–1945

The interaction of sport and politics has created various consequences in the evolution and development of Hungarian sport. The legal framework of sport organizations, the possibilities of elite and grassroots athletes, the incorporation of Hungary into the international sport structure and the financial public funding of physical activity have always been dependent on the dominant political powers and the international environment. The history of sport facility development and management in Budapest started simultaneously with the institutionalization of Hungarian sport in the second half of the nineteenth century, political endeavors arguably determine this progress. Until World War I, facility constructions were correlated with the Millennial Celebrations and preparation for the athletes’ participation in the Olympic Games; moreover, the intention to host the Olympics in Budapest was also crucial in policymaking. In the interwar period, the idea of ‘Justice for Hungary’ inspired political decisions related to sport, and facility constructions served the goal to create adequate circumstances to enhance physical education of the society and to host international sporting events. Legal documents, minutes of parliamentary, governmental, and municipal sessions prove that political actors of both time periods prejudiced essentially the development of sporting life and sport facility constructions of the capital.

Chinese Indenture in the Interwar Netherlands East Indies and the ‘Coolie Ordinance’

ABSTRACT Formal indenture became widespread in the Chinese labour diaspora on Dutch-ruled Sumatra later than in the British Empire and ended later than anywhere else, apart from in some small and isolated settings. It also took a different form and was differently named as ‘the penal sanction’. Despite attempts by reformists in the East Indies and the Hague to phase it out, the penal sanction survived into the inter-war years because of resistance from vested conservative interests in both places. It was finally wound up as a result of a combination of international pressures from several sides and socioeconomic changes in the colony itself.

Exceptions to the Abolition of Chinese Indenture: Chinese workers on rubber estates in Interwar British Malaya

ABSTRACT In a 1931 report investigating the status of labourers in British colonies, the Colonial Office declared that the system of indenture had been abolished across Malaya. This claim belied the realities of labour practices on the ground. On plantations, mines and in colonial homes, Chinese workers continued to labour under formal indenture and to endure indenture-like practices well into 1930s. This article explores the slow decline of Chinese indenture in Malaya, concentrating on the rubber industry in the Unfederated Malay State of Kelantan during the interwar years. The Chinese migrant workers that were brought to Kelantan in that era signed contracts for one year with the terms of the contract enforced by colonial administrators. These workers endured poor working conditions and high death rates. Those that sought to escape faced criminal conviction and punishments including fines and incarnation. By showing the continuation of indenture in Kelantan, this article challenges the assumption made by historians that Chinese indenture had ended globally by the early 1920s. It also develops new understandings of the fragmentary and complex process of abolition.

Joseph Conrad in the eyes of Kazimierz Wierzyński: Fearless of the Boundless and Familiar with the Infinite

Kazimierz Wierzyński (1894-1969) is now considered to be one of the greatest modern Polish poets. He was born in Drohobycz (which is now in western Ukraine) and studied literature and philosophy in Cracow and Vienna. During the interwar years he lived in Warsaw, after which for several years (1939-1941) he lived as a wartime refugee before spending more than twenty years in the United States. An émigré for the rest of his life, he finally settled in London, where he died in 1969. Wierzyński’s poetry – like the works of Joseph Conrad – exhibits a particular sensibility to nature (perceived as a living organism) and the outside world, which is full of extraordinary places, objects, people and phenomena that invite us to reflect on the deeper meaning of our existence as human beings. Both writers share a stoic response to adversity and a fidelity to conscience and to the heritage of European culture. In his 1924 sketch entitled “Conrad’s Great Silence,” Wierzyński saw Conrad above all as a writer who yearns for the infinite, whose “maritime reflection is reproduced in his work.” Twelve years later, in a narrative poem entitled Lord Jim (forming part of his 1936 collection entitled Kurhany), Wierzyński brought the eponymous character of Conrad’s novel into the pantheon of the Polish collective imagination. The fate of Lord Jim, who is tormented by nostalgia for his native England (to which he cannot return) would seem to foreshadow that of the émigré poet whom Wierzyński himself was soon to become. In the titular poem of Wierzyński’s wartime collection Róża wiatrów (The Wind Rose – 1942), Conrad appears as a “role model” for all Polish wartime refugees and émigrés, who, like castaways, search for their own guiding light “in the Conradian sky” – a light that could help them find a safe haven where they could live and work in their own artistic realm without the need to care about literary fashions. This poem has been translated into English (under the title The Compass Rose) by Mary Phelps (Kazimierz Wierzyński, Selected Poems, New York: Voyages Press, 1959). In the opinion of the author of the present article, this translation fails to correctly convey certain key images and allusions which enrich the meaning of the poem and which connect it with the poet’s own personal situation as an émigré writer.

‘An amazing gang of women crooks and blackmailers’: women, organized crime, and the ‘Forty Elephants’ gang in inter-war Britain

Abstract Women’s participation in organized crime has been overlooked within historical research, with studies typically relegating their roles to that of auxiliaries to male gangsters. This article explores the activities and portrayals of women involved in organized crime during the British inter-war period, focusing specifically on one of Britain’s only known all-female criminal organizations (the ‘Forty Elephants’). Examining coverage from local, regional, and national newspapers, it argues that the Forty Elephants captivated the inter-war press, with depictions of gang members reflecting the stereotypical ‘devil in disguise’; according to the media, the female gangster was a dangerous and ‘professional’ criminal who hid behind a façade of good looks, fashionable clothing, and high social status. Furthermore, the article demonstrates how portrayals of the gang resonated with contemporary discussions around the emerging ‘modern woman’, reflecting concerns over women’s growing participation in social, political, and economic life.

Confronting the Deportation State: Black American Responses to Immigrant Expulsion in the Interwar Period

AbstractThis article explores responses in the Black press to the rapidly expanding U.S. deportation regime during the interwar period. While their perspectives have been largely absent from scholarship on deportation, Black journalists, editorialists, and commentators have historically been highly engaged with the issue. Black periodicals provided extensive coverage of the expulsion of Black immigrants, as well as of non-Black immigrants who violated the racial structures of American society (either through antiracist political advocacy or through interracial relationships). In doing so, the Black press insisted that deportation was a Black issue, and that antiblackness was central to the functioning of the early-twentieth-century immigration control system. By surveying roughly 1,100 articles on deportation in the Black press, I highlight how Black writers construed deportation as a powerful tool of white supremacy and a threat to Black immigrants and African Americans alike.

GENDER REPRESENTATION ON POSTCARDS OF THE INTER-WAR ERA

Using the examples of postcards from the inter-war era of the 20th century, it will be shown how media culture participates in building and maintaining social order by defining gender roles. Several of the most representative examples of French provenance, which belong to the collection of postcards of the National Museum of Leskovac have been singled out. Media culture is inseparable from visuality, since, based on a given visual expression, it creates a framework within which the recipient of media content will perceive, interpret and form an opinion. Gender representations on postcards of the inter-war era are precious testimonies of patriarchal ideology and women’s subordination that is represented as natural, although it is a cultural construct. Gender discrimination is a phenomenon that still exists today. Even though the status of women in European societies has undergone a radical change during the past century, the inequality still exists on the basis of their economic and social status. The article seeks to encourage research on the same or similar topic in order to find the roots of gender dichotomy and to understand it so that we can work towards its eradication.

Pacifism and peace activism in modern Britain: A history of the ‘peace studies problem’

AbstractIt is over 40 years since Ceadel defined interwar British pacifism as a ‘faith’. During that time, pacifism has had little political significance and the influential peace movement of the interwar years is now scarcely within living memory. Yet, what Margaret Thatcher once described as ‘the peace studies problem’ is a diverse and interdisciplinary field, and one in which scholarship, peace activism and mainstream politics are all closely intertwined. Feminist scholars and peace activists have queried the links between militarism and patriarchy; historians and ethicists have explored medical pacifism and have asked whether medicine is (or should be) a pacifist profession. More recently, scholars have looked at interwar pacifism through the lens of the Empire and have challenged the imperialist pacifist delusion. Despite pacifism's limited political influence, its history over the last 40 years has explored the beliefs and motivations of men and women struggling to respond to militarism and the threat of war.