Cabinet Decisions on Foreign Policy by Christopher Hill

Cabinet Decisions on Foreign Policy by Christopher Hill

Although Parliament is the principal source of authority in the British political system, it is the Cabinet which stands at the pinnacle of government. Yet what actually happens at Cabinet meetings? How are decisions made, particularly in the arena of foreign policy? Such questions have hitherto been largely overlooked by both historians and political scientists. In this book, Dr Christopher Hill presents a detailed case-study of the British government and foreign policy, during the dramatic period from the Munich Conference of 1938 to the German invasion of the Soviet Union three years later. Using extensive archival material, he examines how far the strong personalities of Neville Chamberlain and Winston Churchill respectively were really able to dominate their Cabinets in an area of policy where Prime Ministers have traditionally been supposed to exercise considerable freedom. This analysis concentrates on six decisions that were of key importance in committing Britain to the war which began in September 1939 but which changed so sharply in character in June 1940 with the fall of France. An original study of foreign policymaking at the highest level, this book will be widely read by international relations specialists while historians will welcome the close-textured account of key episodes of this period. It will also reinvigorate debates among political scientists on the nature of Cabinet government.

' even the confirmed specialist will learn a lot in this magnificently-researched monograph' Cercles

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780521391955
ISBN 10	0521391954
Title	Cabinet Decisions on Foreign Policy
Author	Christopher Hill
Series	Lse Monographs In International Studies
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Cambridge University Press
Year published	1991-06-20
Number of pages	384
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.