The Paris Embassy : British Ambassadors and Anglo-French Relations 1944–79

This collection of essays looks at Anglo-French relations from the Second World War to the advent of Margaret Thatcher's government in a new light, focusing on the work of Britain's ambassadors to France. In particular, it looks at moves towards deeper European integration, a key theme in twentieth century British foreign policy. Few themes in post-war British foreign policy feature more prominently than relations with the European Union, which themselves have been shaped, to a large extent, by relations with France. Yet, most accounts of bilateral relations between these two countries focus either on background factors to the relationship, or else on contacts at the highest level, between presidents and prime ministers. It is easy to overlook the importance of the resident embassy as the institution that handles day-to-day contacts between them. This collection of essays charts and analyses the activities of British Ambassadors in Paris, from the Second World War to the advent of Margaret Thatcher's government. It combines an examination of policy with a consideration of the role of individual envoys and provides a case study of the significance of the permanent mission to modern diplomatic practice Front Matter....Pages i-x Introduction....Pages 1-16 Alfred Duff Cooper, 1944–47....Pages 17-41 Oliver Harvey, 1948–54....Pages 42-66 Gladwyn Jebb, 1954–60....Pages 67-90 Pierson Dixon, 1960–65....Pages 91-113 Patrick Reilly, 1965–68....Pages 114-137 Christopher Soames, 1968–72....Pages 138-161 Edward Tomkins, 1972–75....Pages 162-186 Nicholas Henderson, 1975–79....Pages 187-212 Conclusion....Pages 213-220 Back Matter....Pages 221-229