Publisher's Synopsis
This book examines the thinking within the British Foreign Office regarding the United Kingdom?s position in the world in relation to the other major powers during the 1945?51 period. It suggests that Foreign Office officials at first believed it would be possible to create a global concert of four powers to manage world problems. - - However, by 1946 arguments with both the Soviet Union and the Unites States led Foreign Office officials to examine the idea of creating a Third Force between both powers. However, such notions collapsed quickly as Britain?s economic position weakened and also as the United States appeared to be a more reliable ally. - - The third period, from 1948?9 saw Foreign Office officials attempting to create a western balance to Soviet influence. However, those officials sought equality of influence between Britain and America; the period 1950?51 illustrated that such equality was unattainable.
