Retreat From Power 1. [antikvár]

Preface All the papers in this volume, and in its companion, relate to the period of Britain's decline as a great power. That is not to say that each author tells a story of unrelieved failure or unbroken retreat. Nevertheless, the broad theme of the volume is provided by the inability or unwillingness of the British to match their resources to their risks. Some of the papers deal with such large questions as Britain's contribution to the European balance before the First World War, or her mihtary planning and relations with Germany in the 1930s; some with celebrated episodes like the Hoare-Laval pact and the fruitless negotiations at Moscow in 1939 between the Soviet Union, Britain and France; others with issues which have so far received comparatively little attention. Although the late Lord Strang's article on the Moscow negotiations was composed more than ten years ago, it remains the best compressed account, and-because none of the other participants in the political discussions has written of them - retains a documentary value of its own. In providing footnote references for that paper, as in so much else, I have had the invaluable advice of Professor W. N. Medlicott. His own article on Britain and Germany has long been out of print and is reproduced here by kind permission of the Athlone Press. None of the other essays has been published previously; all are based upon seminars or lectures given here, and it is a source of particular pleasure that three of the contributors to these volumes. Professors Margaret Gowing, Michael Howard and Norton Medlicott, are honorary graduates of the University. I should like to acknowledge with gratitude the help of Miss Katherine Riley, Mr John Davies, Mrs Joy Farquharson and Mrs Rona Ure in the searching out of references and preparation of the typescript. School of History daviddilks The University of Leeds 9 January 1980