Music, youth and international links in post-war British fascism: the transformation of extremism

Abstract

toward the cause of Irish independence, the author makes a stronger case for the subsequent Harding and Coolidge presidential administrations. In fact, Carroll’s meticulous archival work finds that the American diplomatic establishment, later derided by Irish-American nationalists as Anglophilic and antagonistic, actually served as companions and even advocates for the Irish Free State. From the inaugural American tour by Irish President W.T. Cosgrave in 1924 to a reciprocal visit by American Secretary of State Kellogg several years later, Carroll argues that American recognition of Irish diplomatic autonomy loosened constraints within the British Commonwealth, allowing that some motivations came from points of friction within the Anglo-American “special relationship.” Coming as the worthy capstone for one of the preeminent scholars in his field, Carroll’s work has made two major contributions to our understanding of the transatlantic relationship between Ireland and the United States. Revisiting an older debate, his book offers a convincing case that American support played a crucial role as a midwife for independent Ireland. Furthermore, drawing evidence from a wide variety of materials from the press, organizational minutes and diplomatic records, the author has expanded the scope of this support, arguing for a sustained, diffuse support that went beyond the diasporic ethnicity with its appeals to American liberal idealism and US diplomatic interests.