Norman Angell Biography

Norman Angell, Writer
Attr: Library of Congress, Public domain
Born asRalph Norman Angell Lane
Known asSir Ralph Norman Angell
Occup.Writer
FromUnited Kingdom
BornDecember 26, 1872
Holbeach, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
DiedOctober 7, 1967
Croydon, Surrey, United Kingdom
CauseNatural Causes
Aged94 years
Early Life and Education
Norman Angell, born Ralph Norman Angell Lane on December 26, 1872, in Holbeach, Lincolnshire, England, was the oldest of 4 kids. His daddy, Thomas Angell Lane, was an ironmonger and a lay Methodist preacher, while his mom, Mary Lane, was a housewife. Angell was informed in your home before attending grade school in Holbeach and, later on, the Wisbech Grammar School.

Emigration and Career in Journalism
At the age of 17, Angell left England to deal with a farm in France and later on, in 1890, emigrated to the United States. He initially worked as a farmhand in California and after that in a variety of jobs, consisting of an aspiring actor, a sales clerk, and even a cowboy. He became interested in journalism while working as a part-time reporter for the St. Louis Globe-Democrat and ultimately relocated to Boston to work full-time for the Evening Transcript.

In the late 1890s, Angell returned to Europe as a foreign reporter for the American newspaper. During this time, he served as editor for different French and Swiss newspapers, including the Paris Daily Mail, the Paris Courier, and the Geneva Tribune. This period of Angell's life enabled him to develop an understanding of international politics and diplomacy.

The Great Illusion and Pacifism
Angell's experiences in journalism and his observations of worldwide political events led him to write "Europe's Optical Illusion" in 1909, which he expanded on and republished in 1910 as "The Great Illusion", maybe his most famous work. In the book, Angell argued that the economic interdependence of European countries made war an useless undertaking without any genuine gains, as any advantage one nation would acquire through conquest or plunder would be lost in the cost of waging the war itself. This provocative argument was based on the idea that war might no longer be a profitable business due to the fact that societies were longer self-dependent and the costs of reparations would surpass the benefits of conquest.

Angell's pacifist arguments in "The Great Illusion" got enormous appeal, and he continued to advance his ideas on peace in a lot of his other 20th century works, consisting of "The Fruits of Victory", "Arms and Industry", and "Peace and the Public Mind".

World War I and The League of Nations
The beginning of World War I showed that Angell's message had actually fallen on deaf ears. Nevertheless, he continued to promote peace and diplomacy throughout the war, and in 1914, he became one of the charter member of the Union of Democratic Control, together with E.D. Morel, Charles Trevelyan, and Ramsay MacDonald. The function of the organization was to promote for a more open and responsible foreign policy and promote democracy and peace.

After the war, Angell became involved in the formation of the League of Nations, a precursor to the United Nations. He published a number of works supporting the new international organization, including "The Foundations of International Polity" in 1914 and "The League of Nations and the Rule of Law" in 1938.

Later Life and Achievements
In recognition of his long-lasting work promoting peace, Angell was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1933. Although his ideas did not avoid another world war, much of his arguments about economic interdependence have actually ended up being prominent in the development of modern diplomacy.

Angell acted as a Labour Party Member of Parliament for North Bradford from 1929 to 1931, and throughout his political career and writings, he continued to slam Britain's diplomacy and advocate for disarmament, worldwide cooperation, and diplomacy as means to avoid wars.

Norman Angell passed away on October 7, 1967, in Croydon, England, leaving behind a profound tradition of pacifism and the decision to look for peace through diplomacy and discussion.

Our collection contains 4 quotes who is written / told by Norman.

Related authors: Lawrence Taylor (Athlete)

Norman Angell Famous Works:
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4 Famous quotes by Norman Angell

Small: The greatest service we can do the common man is to abolish him and make all men uncommon
"The greatest service we can do the common man is to abolish him and make all men uncommon"
Small: God has made Canada one of those nations which cannot be conquered and cannot be destroyed, except by i
"God has made Canada one of those nations which cannot be conquered and cannot be destroyed, except by itself"
Small: Every nation sincerely desires peace and all nations pursue courses which if persisted in, must make pe
"Every nation sincerely desires peace; and all nations pursue courses which if persisted in, must make peace impossible"
Small: Everywhere I go I see increasing evidence of people swirling about in a human cesspit of their own maki
"Everywhere I go I see increasing evidence of people swirling about in a human cesspit of their own making"