The Washington Embassy : British Ambassadors to the United States, 1939–77

This book is the first study of the role of British Ambassadors in shaping Anglo-American relations during the first generation of the 'special relationship'. As well as showing how ambassadors wielded influence in Washington and helped to formulate British foreign policy, it offers insights into the role of the embassy in modern diplomacy. This collection provides the first comprehensive treatment of the role of British Ambassadors to Washington from the start of the Second World War to the late 1970s. Many general works on the subject have been written with only a passing mention for the individuals who are the subject of this book. Most general academic studies treat ambassadors as incidental to the real story, which tends to focus on Presidents and Prime Ministers, from Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill onwards. Even specialist studies of Anglo-American relations or of British foreign policy devote scant attention to the contributions of the envoys. However, as studies of diplomatic practice show, permanent embassies continue to fulfil an important role in bilateral relationships through the promotion of friendly ties, the negotiation of agreements, lobbying, clarifying intentions and promoting trade, as well as propagandising, political reporting and providing policy advice to their government Front Matter....Pages i-viii Introduction....Pages 1-13 Lord Lothian, 1939–40....Pages 14-32 Lord Halifax, 1941–46....Pages 33-51 Lord Inverchapel, 1946–48....Pages 52-70 Oliver Franks, 1948–52....Pages 71-90 Roger Makins, 1953–56....Pages 91-109 Harold Caccia, 1956–61....Pages 110-129 David Ormsby Gore, Lord Harlech, 1961–65....Pages 130-149 Patrick Dean, 1965–69....Pages 150-168 John Freeman, 1969–71....Pages 169-188 Lord Cromer, 1971–74....Pages 189-208 Peter Ramsbotham, 1974–77....Pages 209-228 Conclusion....Pages 229-234 Back Matter....Pages 235-243 Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Title 3 Copyright 4 Contents 5 List of Contributors 7 Introduction 9 1 Lord Lothian, 1939–40 22 2 Lord Halifax, 1941–46 41 3 Lord Inverchapel, 1946–48 60 4 Oliver Franks, 1948–52 79 5 Roger Makins, 1953–56 99 6 Harold Caccia, 1956–61 118 7 David Ormsby Gore, Lord Harlech, 1961–65 138 8 Patrick Dean, 1965–69 158 9 John Freeman, 1969–71 177 10 Lord Cromer, 1971–74 197 11 Peter Ramsbotham, 1974–77 217 Conclusion 237 Select Bibliography 243 Index 246