Sarah Wambaugh and the Plebiscite

Andrew Thomas Park's book explores the intellectual and political history of the plebiscite through the life and work of Sarah Wambaugh, the leading expert on plebiscites in the interwar period.

Park traces how plebiscites were championed as a democratic alternative to war after World War I, the technical norms Wambaugh developed to make them legitimate, and the events that led to their decline by the late 1930s.

The book situates plebiscites within larger debates about self-determination, international organizations such as the League of Nations, and the limits of technical solutions in the face of political power.

Drawing on Wambaugh's archival papers and contemporary diplomatic records, Park argues the lessons remain relevant where borders and democracy are contested today.

The study combines biography, legal and diplomatic history, and analysis of key plebiscite cases like the Saar and Upper Silesia.