The British Political Elite and the Soviet Union, 1937-1939 (Cass Series--British Foreign and Colonial Policy)

Private papers, diaries and government and Foreign Office records are used within this book to produce an analysis of the attitudes of the British political elite towards the Soviet Union, assessing the influence such attitudes had upon British foreign policy between May 1937 and August 1939. "The British Political Elite and the Soviet Union, 1937-1939 examines the attitudes of the British political elite towards the Soviet Union, and assesses the influence such attitudes had upon British foreign policy between May 1937 and August 1939. The British political elite in this book includes members of the Cabinet, Foreign Policy Committee and Chiefs of Staff, Foreign Office officials, ambassadors and diplomats, and those members of the Conservative Party and opposition elsewhere referred to as the 'anti-appeasers'. Using a large number of private papers, diaries and memoirs, as well as official government and Foreign Office records, this book provides a uniquely detailed and critical analysis of individuals."--BOOK JACKET

Focusing on the period of the Chamberlain premiership, Shaw (junior research fellow, Wolfson College, Oxford U., UK) examines the attitudes of British foreign policy makers and members of the opposition towards collaboration with the Kremlin against the Nazis. She argues that ideological distrust and hostility towards the Soviet government caused an inability to initiate an Anglo-French-Soviet alliance. Those who worked for such an alliance are favorably profiled. Shaw suggests that, were it not for Neville Chamberlain, the alliance would have been concluded in 1939. Distributed in the US by ISBS. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Private papers, diaries and memoirs, as well as official government and Foreign Office records are used within this book to produce a detailed critical analysis of the attitudes of the British political elite towards the Soviet Union