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Ludwig von Mises, Capitalism, and Peace

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Classical Liberalism and International Relations Theory

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Abstract

Like Hume and Smith, Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (1881–1973) is mainly known for certain parts of his work. Of the four classical liberal thinkers studied in this book, Mises has written the most on international relations. Two of his books, Nation, State and Economy (1919) and Omnipotent Government (1944) were exclusively devoted to international topics, while he also discussed international issues in many other pieces. This is not surprising, since his life was deeply marked by the two world wars. Born in Lemberg, in the eastern part of the Austrian Empire, he served as an officer in the Austrian army in the First World War. In 1934 he escaped from Nazism, first to Geneva and from there to America in 1940. He became a United States citizen and lived in New York City until his death.1

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Notes

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© 2009 Edwin van de Haar

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van de Haar, E. (2009). Ludwig von Mises, Capitalism, and Peace. In: Classical Liberalism and International Relations Theory. Palgrave Macmillan History of International Thought Series. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230623972_5

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