The David Davies Books Project

Lord David Davies was a prolific writer on international affairs. Like many others, he was concerned with the potential outbreak of war in an international system marked by its anarchic structure. He explored this thematic in his major works, including The Problem of the Twentieth Century, The Seven Pillars of Peace, A Federated Europe, and Force. As such, the books contribute towards some important conceptual and theoretical underpinnings of the discipline of International Relations (IR), which continue to be debated today. It is this investigation of the genealogy of the discipline through the work of one of its founding patrons, which forms the bedrock of the David Davies Books Project. Its aim is to make available brief summaries of the relevant books by Lord Davies, draw attention to the lasting questions they raise, and show how answers were envisaged at a specific time in history.

Founder of the Woodrow Wilson chair in international politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth, Lord David Davies of Llandinam (1880-1944) left a significant mark on both the academic and political landscape of Britain and Wales. A member of the League of Nations Union (LNU) and a dedicated liberal internationalist, his major works, published throughout the 1920s and 1930s, predominantly dealt with the question of securing peace at the international level. He advocated for an international police force, merged with an international judicial body, to underpin a global consensual understanding of moral and political conduct among states.

 

David Davies - Force - Book Review (docx)

 

David Davies - The Problems of the Twentieth Century - Book Review (docx)