4 - International Science from the Franco-Prussian War to World War Two: An Era of Organization

Summary

The national sentiment that had already resonated in the background of the International Geomagnetic Project would, in the following decades, grow into an influential co-determinant of international cooperation: its extension, depth, and stability. During the war of 1870–1 renowned scientists would confront each other in acrimonious debates revealing dregs of resentments and distrust that would never be absorbed completely, the oncoming upswing and diversification of transnational relations notwithstanding. Increasingly aware of their contribution to their fatherlands’ industrial strength and intellectual prestige, scientists were going to reflect more and more on their role in society and their nation’s status in the world.