International History Review

International History Review
Title	International History Review
Discipline	History
Language	English
Abbreviation	Int. Hist. Rev.
Publisher	Routledge
Country	United Kingdom
Frequency	Quarterly
History	1979–present
Issn	0707-5332

International History Review

The International History Review is a peer‑reviewed academic journal focusing on modern and contemporary diplomacy and international relations through historical methods. It surveys scholarship on topics ranging from the Congress of Vienna and the Crimean War to the Cold War, decolonization, and post‑Cold War crises such as the Gulf War and the Yugoslav Wars. Contributors often engage with primary sources tied to archives like the National Archives (UK), the Library of Congress, the Bundesarchiv, and the Hoover Institution.

History and Establishment

Founded in 1979 during debates stimulated by works like E. H. Carr's critiques and the rise of new diplomatic histories after the Vietnam War, the journal emerged alongside scholarly venues such as the Journal of Contemporary History and the Journal of Modern History. Early editorial discussion referenced anniversaries such as the centenary of the Berlin Conference (1884–85) and policy shifts after the Suez Crisis. Founding contributors were influenced by historians who studied the Concert of Europe, the Meiji Restoration, and the interplay between imperial centers like London, Paris, Vienna, and Saint Petersburg.

Editorial Scope and Aims

The Review emphasizes research on diplomatic, political, and transnational dimensions of international affairs, encouraging work on episodes such as the Opium Wars, the Spanish Civil War, and the Treaty of Versailles. It invites comparative studies involving regions such as East Asia, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Eastern Europe, and thematic work on subjects like nuclear proliferation exemplified by the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Non‑Proliferation Treaty. The journal has published scholarship engaging with archives linked to figures such as Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and David Ben‑Gurion while fostering dialogue with research on institutions like the League of Nations, the United Nations, the European Union, and the NATO alliance.

Publication and Peer Review Process

Published quarterly by Routledge on behalf of scholarly societies and editorial boards, the journal follows a double‑blind peer review model similar to procedures at the American Historical Review and the English Historical Review. Manuscripts undergo editorial triage by editors who have overseen dossiers on topics from the Rif War to the Iranian Revolution; accepted articles proceed to review by specialists in archives associated with the Vatican Secret Archives, the Imperial War Museum, or the National Security Archive. The Review also commissions historiographical essays in conversation with works like Herbert Butterfield's writings and debates sparked by books such as John Lewis Gaddis's histories of the Cold War.

Impact, Reception, and Rankings

The journal is cited alongside leading periodicals including the International Affairs and Diplomatic History in assessments by citation indices used by institutions such as the European University Institute and the Institute for Historical Research. Its influence is measured by inclusion in databases managed by organizations like Scopus, Web of Science, and librarians at the British Library. Reviews in outlets such as the Times Literary Supplement and citations in monographs on the Vietnam War, the Korean War, and the Sino‑Soviet split attest to its role in shaping debates on statecraft, empire, and transnational movements.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

The Review has published landmark articles reassessing episodes like the Berlin Blockade, the Dardanelles Campaign, and the Anglo‑Japanese Alliance, as well as archival revelations concerning the Zimmermann Telegram and wartime diplomacy of the Ottoman Empire. Special issues have focused on themes such as Decolonization, the history of intelligence services illustrated by studies of the MI6 and the KGB, and the centenary of the First World War. Contributors have included scholars who also publish in venues tied to the Royal Historical Society, the American Historical Association, and university presses such as Cambridge University Press and Oxford University Press.

Editors and Editorial Board

Over time the editorial leadership has included historians affiliated with institutions such as the London School of Economics, University College London, the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, the University of Chicago, and the Australian National University. Editorial boards have comprised specialists on regions like South Asia and Middle East and on subjects involving figures like Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Mahatma Gandhi, Ho Chi Minh, and Gamal Abdel Nasser. Advisory members often hail from archives including the Hoover Institution and the National Archives and Records Administration.

Accessibility and Indexing

The journal is indexed in major services such as Scopus, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Historical Abstracts, and is available through platforms managed by Taylor & Francis and university libraries including the Bodleian Libraries and the Harvard Library. Subscribers include research centers like the International Institute for Strategic Studies, national libraries such as the Bibliothèque nationale de France, and academic departments in fields connected to the Faculty of History at numerous universities.

Category:Academic journals