Great Britain, Germany and the Soviet Union: Rapallo and after, 1922-1934 (Royal Historical Society Studies in History New Series)

Germany and the Soviet Union concluded the treaty of Rapallo together within five years of their defeat in the First World War. The resulting fear of Soviet-German co-operation cast a long shadow over British foreign policy; thisbook traces its influence.The treaty of Rapallo, concluded in 1922 between Germany and the Soviet Union, the two vanquished powers of the Great War, ranks high among the diplomatic coups de surprise of the twentieth century. Its real importance, however, lies in the repercussions of the alliance on the subsequent policies of the two victorious powers, Britain and France. This study examines the impact of Rapallo on British foreign policy between 1922 and 1934, when the German-Soviet relationship had virtually ended. The'ghost of Rapallo'is the central theme of this story, as ever since the treaty's conclusion Rapallo has been a byword for Soviet-German secret and potentially dangerous collaboration. This book describes how the British viewed the Rapallo co-operation, how they dealt with this special relationship, and how the lingering memory of Rapallo affected British policy for decades to come. While examining a particular aspect of international relations it throws additional light on broader topics of European relations in the 1920s and early 1930s. Dr STEPHANIE SALZMANN completed her PhD at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. "The treaty which Germany and the Soviet Union concluded in the small Italian seaside resort of Rapallo over Easter 1922 ranks among the diplomatic coups de surprise of the twentieth century." "Even today the 'ghost of Rapallo' has lost little of its original fascination. Besides the myths and historical re-interpretations, the real historical impact of the treaty of Rapallo lies in its consequences, particularly for the two victorious powers of the First World War: Britain and France." "This study examines the impact of Rapallo on British foreign policy between 1922 and 1934, when the signing of the German-Polish non-aggression pact marked the visible end of the Rapallo accord. The 'myth of Rapallo' is the central theme of this story: ever since the treaty's conclusion Rapallo has been a byword for Soviet-German secret and potentially dangerous collaboration." "This book describes how the British viewed Rapallo and how they dealt with this special relationship, and analyses whether it is justified to speak of a 'myth of Rapallo' in British policy. While examining a particular aspect of international relations it throws additional light on broader topics of European relations in the 1920s and early 1930s."--Jacket The treaty of Rapallo, concluded in 1922 between Germany and the Soviet Union, the two vanquished powers of the Great War, ranks high among the diplomatic coups de surprise of the twentieth century. Its real importance, however, lies in the repercussions of the alliance on the subsequent policies of the two victorious powers, Britain and France. This study examines the impact of Rapallo onBritish foreign policy between 1922 and 1934, when the German-Soviet relationship had virtually ended. The "ghost of Rapallo" is the central theme of this story, as ever since the treaty's conclusionRapallo has been a byword for Soviet-German secret and potentially dangerous collaboration. This book describes how the British viewed the Rapallo co-operation, how they dealt with this special relationship, and how the lingering memory of Rapallo affected British policy for decades to come. While examining a particular aspect of international relations it throws additional light on broader topicsof European relations in the 1920s and early 1930s. Dr STEPHANIE SALZMANN completed her PhD at Trinity Hall, Cambridge Preliminaries......Page 1 Contents......Page 5 Acknowledgements......Page 7 Abbreviations......Page 9 Introduction......Page 11 1 ‘It nearly overthrew the applecart’......Page 17 2 ‘The most important event since the armistice’......Page 29 3 Rapallo’s first test......Page 43 4 The policy of conciliation......Page 55 5 The battle for the German soul......Page 65 6 Rapallo and the rupture of Anglo-Soviet relations......Page 87 7 Rapallo and the decline of the Locarno spirit......Page 99 8 An economic Rapallo?......Page 112 9 Rapallo and the disarmament conference......Page 129 10 The Rapallo relationship and Hitler’s rise to power......Page 147 11 The end of Rapallo: the German–Polish non-aggression treaty......Page 165 Conclusion......Page 180 Bibliography......Page 191 Index......Page 205 It nearly overthrew the applecart : Lloyd George and the Treaty of Rapallo The most important event since the armistice : the Foreign Office and Rapallo Rapallo's first test : the Ruhr crisis The policy of conciliation : Rapallo and the first Labour government The battle for the German soul : Locarno and the Treaty of Berlin Rapallo and the rupture of Anglo-Soviet relations Rapallo and the decline of the Locarno spirit An economic Rapallo? Rapallo and the disarmament conference Rapallo and Hitler's rise to power The end of Rapallo : the German-Polish non-aggression treaty.