Thatcher's Diplomacy: The Revival of British Foreign Policy (Contemporary History in Context Series)

A wide-ranging, readable and controversial assessment of Thatcher's foreign policy throughout her years in office, 1979-90. Successive chapters cover her partnership with Lord Carrington, the Falklands War, her American policy, her fights with the EC over money and institutional development, her relationship with Gorbachev, and the failure of her German policy. In arguing that Thatcher's attempt to reconcile economic liberalism with political nationalism in a more assertive foreign policy prefigured the emerging statecraft of post-Cold War great power politics, Paul Sharp demonstrates why studying her successes and failures offers an invaluable guide for policy-makers around the world today. British Foreign Policy Under Margaret Thatcher Has Been Completely Misunderstood By Friends And Foes Alike. The Former Praise Her Strong Personality, Her Willingness To Stick Up For Britain In Europe, And The Loyal Support She Provided The Americans In The Last Decisive Flare Up Of Their Rivalry With The Ussr. Her Foes Condemn Her For Precisely The Same Reasons. Both Agree, However, It Is Not For Her Contribution To Foreign Policy That She Will Be Remembered, As She Remained Stuck In The Categories Of The Cold War And Earlier. Sharp Takes Issue With This Reading And By Assessing Her Whole International Record From 1979 To 1990, Demonstrates How Thatcher Emerged As The First Authentic Statesman Of The Post-cold War. It Was Thatcher Who Realized That The Fading Of The Cold War Provided New Opportunities For Independent And Assertive Action By The European Great Powers, And It Was Thatcher Who Recognized The Revived Importance Of Nationalism, Not Just As A Constraint Upon International Cooperation, But As The Positive Cornerstone On Which All Such Cooperation Must Still Be Built. 1. The Pursuit Of Influence -- 2. Foreign Policy And The 1979 Election Campaign -- 3. The Thatcher-carrington Partnership -- 4. The Diplomacy Of Disaster: Losing The Falklands -- 5. Recovering The Falklands: The Diplomacy Of War -- 6. Thatcher's Us Policy I: The Diplomacy Of Support -- 7. Thatcher's Us Policy Ii: The Diplomacy Of Interests -- 8. Thatcher's European Policy I: The Demandeur -- 9. Thatcher's European Policy Ii: Sovereignty And Nationalism -- 10. Thatcher's Soviet Policy: Diplomacy At The Summit -- 11. Thatcher's German Policy: The 'unambiguous Failure' -- 12. Thatcher's Statesmanship. Paul Sharp. In Association With Institute Of Contemporary British History. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 264-265) And Index. "British foreign policy under Margaret Thatcher has been completely misunderstood by friends and foes alike. The former praise her strong personality, her willingness to stick up for Britain in Europe, and the loyal support she provided the Americans in the last decisive flare up of their rivalry with the USSR. Her foes condemn her for precisely the same reasons. Both agree, however, it is not for her contribution to foreign policy that she will be remembered, as she remained stuck in the categories of the Cold War and earlier. Sharp takes issue with this reading and by assessing her whole international record from 1979 to 1990, demonstrates how Thatcher emerged as the first authentic statesman of the post-Cold War. It was Thatcher who realized that the fading of the Cold War provided new opportunities for independent and assertive action by the European great powers, and it was Thatcher who recognized the revived importance of nationalism, not just as a constraint upon international cooperation, but as the positive cornerstone on which all such cooperation must still be built."--Jacket Sharp (political science, U. of Minnesota) reviews Margaret Thatcher's career as an international stateswoman, providing a more sympathetic approach to her international record than academia's generally unflattering treatment. He assesses British foreign policy and diplomacy before and under Thatcher and discusses in detail her American policy, her policies on Britain's role in Europe's future, and her response to the end of the cold war and restoration of the Anglo-Soviet relationship, as well as her attempts to prevent or slow the unification of Germany. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR This book provides an assessment of Thatcher's foreign policy throughout her years in office, 1979-90. Successive chapters cover her partnership with Carrington, the Falklands War, Thatcher's American policy, her fights with the EC over money and institutional development, her relationship with Gorbachev, and the failure of her German policy. The main argument is that Thatcher's attempt to reconcile economic liberalism with political nationalism in a more assertive foreign policy prefigured the emerging statecraft of post-Cold War great power politics.