Title:
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British Policy Towards the USSR and the Onset of the Second World War
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This study is concerned with the description and
analysis of Anglo-Soviet relations and the onset of the
second world war, from t: arch 1938 to August 1939. It is
intended to examine the Soviet aspect of appeasement. Did
Stalin's foreign policy offer the Chamberlain government an
alternative to appeasement; was it viable or not; and why was
it rejected? When it was apparently explored in 1939, why
did it fail? What was to be the relation of the USSR to a
hopefully pacified Germany? Does British policy in eastern
Europe support the contention that a free hand - whether by
design or implication --was offered to Germany?
An introductory background analysis traces the relation
of the Soviet Union to the aims of appeasement. This indicates
that British foreign policy was always cautious when
defining its interests in eastern Europe; and that as long as
German pacification remained the intention, the USSR could
a priori not participate. An examination of Anglo"-Soviet
relations from March to September 1938 shows that the exclusion
of Moscow from the Munich conference is the inevitable
outcome of Anglo-French efforts at a peaceful solution of the
Czech-German crisis. The conference symbolizes the decisive
rejection of the Soviet alternative. The strongest evidence
on British policy in eastern Europe is embodied in the
immediate post-41unich period. On various issues Britain and
France pursued the logical sequel to the desired Anglo-German agreement:. d sint6ressement in eastern Europe. The
tripartite negotiations in the spring and summer of 1939 are
seen to have their origins in the sudden attempts by London
in January 1939 to improve relations with Moscow. This was
to ensure the latter's benevolent neutrality in case of war.
The Anglo-French-Soviet political and military negotiations
are then analyzed in terms both of Britain's inability to
harmonize short term methods -a deterrent front including the
USSR, with long range aims - German appeasement, and of a
change in Soviet interests and priorities.
This study makes use of the available official government
documents on foreign policy, and various collections of
private papers. The quite substantial amount of archival
material appearing in Russian monographs and articles, despite
its selective nature, was found of considerable value.
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