Shaping British foreign and defence policy in the twentieth century : a tough ask in turbulent times / edited by Malcolm H. Murfett, Visiting Professor, King's College London, UK.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Murfett, Malcolm H., editor.

Series:

Security, conflict and cooperation in the contemporary world

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Military policy.

History.

Great Britain--Foreign relations--20th century.

Great Britain.

International relations.

Great Britain--Military policy--History--20th century.

Diplomatic relations.

Physical Description:

xiii, 288 pages ; 23 cm.

Place of Publication:

Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

Summary:

Devising any kind of operational strategy to cope with the turbulent years of the twentieth century was never going to be an easy undertaking and the British found this out to their cost both before and after World War II. It's easy enough to be an armchair critic - particularly after the fact - but policymakers are neither similarly placed nor blessed with the inestimable advantages of hindsight, so they must plot their future moves more in hope than certainty of success. This volume is devoted to reviewing the complexity of this decision-making process and showing why it's relatively easy for states to lose their way as they grope for a safe passage forward when confronted by mounting international crises and the antics of a few desperate men with considerable power at their disposal. We often talk of the 'fog of war' without acknowledging that there's a peace-time equivalent. It's a mistake to do so. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Professor David Neville Dilks, MA (Oxon), FRHistS, FRSL (1938-): An Appreciation from Afar / Malcolm H. Murfett Murfett, Malcolm H. 10

2 The British Empire's Image of East Asia, 1900-41: Politics, Ideology and International Order / Antony Best Best, Antony 21

3 The Struggle to Maintain Locarno Diplomacy: Britain and the Idea of a Political Truce in 1931 / Frank Magee Magee, Frank 41

4 'Leaving Us in the Lurch': The British Government, the First DRC Enquiry and the United States, 1933-34 / Peter Bell Bell, Peter 64

5 Chamberlain, the British Army and the 'Continental Commitment' / G.C. Peden Peden, G.C. 86

6 Eden, the Foreign Office and the 'German Problem', 1935-38 / G.T.P. Waddington Waddington, G.T.P. 111

7 Harold Nicolson and Appeasement / John W. Young Young, John W. 136

8 Another Jewel Forsaken: The Role of Singapore in British Foreign and Defence Policy, 1919-68 / Malcolm H. Murfett Murfett, Malcolm H. 159

9 Quadruple Failure? The British-American Split over Collective Security in Southeast Asia, 1963-66 / Brian P. Farrell Farrell, Brian P. 193

10 GCHQ and UK Computer Policy: Teddy Poulden, ICL and IBM / Richard J. Aldrich Aldrich, Richard J. 240.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781137431479

1137431474

OCLC:

880122557