Britain, Detente and Changing East-West Relations

There is little systematic analysis available of Britain’s contribution to East-West relations since 1945, and in particular of Britain’s contribution to East-West detente. In general, British attempts to act as mediator between East and West have been regarded as ineffectual, and a rather desperate attempt to prove that Britain could still wield influence on the world stage.

In this new contribution to the study of the evolution of post-war international relations, Brian White argues that Britain’s contribution to detente cannot so easily be dismissed. Through narrative and analysis, he examines the persistent theme of Britain’s attempts to steer East-West relations in a co-operative direction. In doing so, he has provided both an important revaluation of Britain’s role in the post-war world and an invaluable case study in foreign policy formation and execution.

Brian White is Principal Lecturer in International Relations at Staffordshire Polytechnic, where he teaches courses on foreign policy analysis and British and American foreign policy. He is co-editor and contributor to British Foreign Policy: Tradition, Change and Transformation (Unwin Hyman 1988) and Understanding Foreign Policy: The Foreign Policy Systems Approach (Edward Elgar 1989).