This book, first published in 1972, offers a detailed analysis of the post-war formulation of foreign policy, as Britain sought to detach itself from its imperialist past and moved towards a European future. The contributors – all experts in their fields – together provide a comprehensive commentary on the complexities of the external pressures that moulded British foreign policy during these years. The subjects covered highlight the dichotomy of, and interaction between, residual obligations and new goals and national aspirations. These include the examination of past policies regarding the Commonwealth, South-East Asia, NATO, and the ‘special relationship’ with the U.S.A., as well as multi-national companies and Britain’s place in the changing global society. This reissue will of particular interest to students and academics researching the history of British foreign policy, international diplomacy and development, and post colonialism.
Which event better characterises British military interventions: the trauma of Suez or the triumph of the Falklands? This book, first published in 1984, examines these engagements and those of the intervening period to provide a sober and considered response to this question. The issues raised are central to the debate concerning Britain’s defence capabilities and its role in world politics. The author argues that it is only under severely restricted conditions that Britain could reasonably expect a successful outcome from long-range military intervention. The constraints are not merely those of military capacity: public opinion also has its role to play. By analysing these conditions and the way they have influenced the outcomes of past interventions the author points the way to framing a practical and reasonable defence and foreign policy in the Third World.
Coral Mary Bell AO, who died in 2012, was one of the world’s foremost academic experts on international relations, crisis management and alliance diplomacy. This collection of essays by more than a dozen of her friends and colleagues is intended to honour her life and examine her ideas and, through them, her legacy. Part 1 describes her growing up during the Great Depression and the Second World War, her short-lived sojourn in the Department of External Affairs in Canberra, where she was friends with some of the spies who worked for Moscow, and her academic career over the subsequent six decades, the last three of which were at The Australian National University. Most of Coral’s academic career was spent in Departments of International Relations. She was disdainful of academic theory, but as discussed in Part 2, she had a very sophisticated understanding of the subject. She was in many ways a Realist, but one for whom agency, in terms of ideas (the beliefs and perceptions of policy-makers) and institutions (including conventions and norms of behaviour), essentially determined events. Part 3 is concerned with power politics, including such matters as Cold War competitions, crisis management, alliance diplomacy, and US and Australian foreign policies. She recognised that power politics left untrammelled was inevitably catastrophic, and was increasingly attracted to notions of Concerts of Power. ‘Coral would be touched by this collection of essays about her professional and personal life. The contributors offer honest, professional and insightful reviews of her many academic achievements and especially her ideas, many of them the forerunners of others’ work, that makes her one of the very best international relations and strategic thinkers.’ — Dr. Pauline Kerr, Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy, The Australian National University ‘It’s a rare thing in an international relations expert to possess a balance of theory and experience, history and imagination, realism and hope. Coral had this, and she had a 19th-century prose style to match it. Through her writing she explained the chaos of international events and human affairs in simple and clear language to her baffled compatriots. For the rest of the world, she brought an antipodean temperament and perspective to the great questions of our time; she was our George Kennan in thick glasses, blue floral dress, white sneakers and a string of pearls.’ — Minh Bui Jones, The Lowy Interpreter, 5 October 2012
This book presents a radical reappraisal of British policy towards West German rearmament until the Federal Republic's incorporation into NATO and contains a series of major new theses on British attitudes towards European integration, Anglo-Soviet relations and the 'Special Relationship'. It places policy in the context of Anglo-German distrust, American demands for a German contribution and British fears of antagonising the Soviets. It clarifies numerous controversial issues by demonstrating British willingness to compromise with the Soviets over German unification, the British military's desire to reduce the continental commitment and Eden's enthusiasm for a European Army.
Only now is it possible to see Edward Heath's controversial administration (1970-1974) in balanced historical perspective - and increasingly it seems a turning-point for postwar Britain. This timely volume explores the agenda of the Heath government in all its aspects (including economy, industrial relations, social policy, immigration, Northern Ireland, British entry into Europe, and foreign relations), assesses how far it achieved its aims, and examines the response to them. The book is based upon much new research, including the archives of the Conservative Party and the TUC, and interviews with many of those involved at the heart of government. The result will be essential reading for anyone interested in modern British history, politics and government. Contributors include PAUL ARTHUR, LEWIS BASTON, VERNON BOGDANOR, ALEC CAIRNCROSS, CHRISTOPHER HILL, DENNIS KAVANAGH, ZIG LAYTON-HENRY, CHRISTOPHER LORD, RODNEY LOWE, JOHN RAMSDEN, ROBERT TAYLOR, KEVIN THEAKSTON, JOHN YOUNG.
Glen O'Hara draws a compelling picture of Second World War Britain by investigating relations between people and government: the electorate's rising expectations and demands for universally-available social services, the increasing complexity of the new solutions to these needs, and mounting frustration with both among both governors and governed.
Drawing on official records and private papers, this book offers insights into Anglo-American reactions to France's development of an independent nuclear capability; France's bid for the political leadership of Europe; Britain's first application to join the EEC; the controversial US multilateral force (MLF) proposal for NATO; Britain's numerous propositions to France for the development of an independent European nuclear force; the tense Anglo-American diplomatic quarrel that was the Skybolt crisis; and the creative diplomacy that produced the Nassau Agreement of December 1962.
There is little systematic analysis available of Britain's contribution to East-West relations since 1945, and in particular of Britain's contribution to East-West detente. In general, British attempts to act as mediator between East and West have been regarded as ineffectual, and a rather desperate attempt to prove that Britain could still wield influence on the world stage. In this new contribution to the study of the evolution of post-war international relations, Brian White argues that Britain's contribution to detente cannot so easily be dismissed. Through narrative and analysis, he examines the persistent theme of Britain's attempts to steer East-West relations in a co-operative direction. In doing so, he has provided both an important revaluation of Britain's role in the post-war world and an invaluable case study in foreign policy formation and execution.
