Countering Nationalism: Remembering the Quest to Build One World

In the inaugural event of CGS’s Global Conversations series, historian Samuel Zipp discussed his book The Idealist: Wendell Willkie’s Wartime Quest to Build One World, examining the historical roots of the “one world” ideal and its relevance to countering contemporary nationalism. The conversation explored how a largely forgotten political figure’s wartime vision for global unity continues to resonate in an era of rising nationalist sentiment.

About This Conversation

This event marked the launch of CGS’s Global Conversations program, a series designed to bring scholars, activists, and the public together for substantive dialogue on global governance and international cooperation. Dr. Zipp’s presentation traced Wendell Willkie’s extraordinary 1942 journey around the world—visiting battlefronts in Africa, the Middle East, Russia, and China—and the runaway bestseller One World that emerged from it. Willkie challenged Americans to reject the “America first” doctrine and embrace a vision of equality across nations and races. The session explored why this message captured the public imagination and how it shaped subsequent movements for international cooperation.

Speakers

• Dr. Samuel Zipp, Cultural and Urban Historian, Brown University; Author of The Idealist and Manhattan Projects: The Rise and Fall of Urban Renewal in Cold War New York

Key Themes

• Wendell Willkie’s 1942 around-the-world journey and his challenge to American isolationism
• How the concept of “one world” was adopted by world government advocates, anti-imperialists, and environmentalists
• The enduring tension between American exceptionalism and global cooperation
• Lessons from Willkie’s internationalism for addressing today’s resurgence of narrow nationalism
• The continuing relevance of bipartisan internationalism in American foreign policy