Teacher Profiles
KINEFUCHI, Fumio Associate Professor (Issues in Modern European History)
Research topic
My research focuses on the ideas and movements surrounding regional economic integration in modern Europe.
Research topic
What is regional integration? What we can learn from historical research.
The idea that European integration after World War II brought peace to Europe seems natural at first glance. Indeed, the EU received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012. However, looking back at history reveals another aspect of regional integration in Europe.
For example, in Germany during the era of great power rivalry from the 19th to the early 20th century, there were people who aimed for such integration. However, their ideas were inextricably linked to the goal of establishing German hegemony in Europe. Furthermore, while promoting peace and friendship within the integration sphere, there was also a logic at play that clearly distinguished and excluded countries outside the sphere.
In recent years, Japan has also become increasingly involved in regional integration. By studying the history of European integration, which can be considered a pioneer in this field, I hope to gain a multifaceted understanding of what regional integration truly entails.
Examples of graduation thesis titles from the Kinebuchi Seminar
- "Mussolini's Relationship with Organizations During World War I: Leading Up to the Formation of the Combat Fascism"
- "The Diet of the German People During World War I"
Recent works
- Fumio Kinebuchi, "The Ideological Background of the Central European Economic Bloc Concept at the Turn of the Century," *Studies in European Cultural History*, No. 18, 2017, pp. 159-178.
- Fumio Kinebuchi, "The Transformation of Anglo-German Relations Theory in Early 20th Century Germany: Focusing on Julius Wolff's Trade Policy Thought," *History and Culture*, No. 54, 2016, pp. 115-137.
- Fumio Kinebuchi, "The Central European Concept and Friedrich Naumann in Germany and Austria in the Early Stages of World War I," in Toyoshi Ohara and Hiroki Sanpei (eds.), *Decentralized Integration in Western Modernity: Its Historical Challenges—Toward Comparative Regional Integration History Research—*, Tohoku University Press, 2013, pp. 329-356.