The Russia Committee of the British Foreign Office : its influence on foreign policy formation in the early Cold War
This thesis adds to the historiography on British foreign policy towards the Soviet Union in the early Cold War by closely examining the work of the Russia Committee, a secret organisation within the Foreign Office, in order to assess its influence on the formation of foreign policy in the early Cold War. The research undertaken was based on the scrutiny of the official Foreign Office Archives, of the meetings and papers of the Russia Committee from its inception in March 1946 to the early 1950s, as well as Cabinet papers, private papers of key individuals, diaries and memoirs and relevant secondary historical sources. It concludes that the Russia Committee was a vital piece in the jigsaw of intelligence provision to the British government on Soviet Communist expansionism, and for a time was the only body collecting and analysing all aspects of Soviet activities. It helped to determine how to deal with the emerging circumstances and tensions. It recognises that policy formation was a joint enterprise on the part of the Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin for most of the years covered, and his Foreign Office advisers and helped Ministers to determine how to deal with the emerging threats. It concludes that the
Stirling, Teresa Anne
D839 Post-war History, 1945 on ; DA566.7 Political and diplomatic history
The Russia Committee of the British Foreign Office : its influence on foreign policy formation in the early Cold War. This thesis adds to the historiography on British foreign policy towards the Soviet Union in the early Cold War by closely examining the work of the Russia Committee, a secret organisation within the Foreign Office, in order to assess its influence on the formation of foreign policy in the early Cold War. The research undertaken was based on the scrutiny of the official Foreign Office Archives, of the meetings and papers of the Russia Committee from its inception in March 1946 to the early 1950s, as well as Cabinet papers, private papers of key individuals, diaries and memoirs and relevant secondary historical sources. It concludes that the Russia Committee was a vital piece in the jigsaw of intelligence provision to the British government on Soviet Communist expansionism, and for a time was the only body collecting and analysing all aspects of Soviet activities. It helped to determine how to deal with the emerging circumstances and tensions. It recognises that policy formation was a joint enterprise on the part of the Foreign Secretary, Ernest Bevin for most of the years covered, and his Foreign Office advisers and helped Ministers to determine how to deal with the emerging threats. It concludes that the
russia committee british foreign_office influence foreign_policy formation early_cold_war add historiography_british foreign_policy towards soviet_union early_cold_war closely_examine work russia committee secret organisation within foreign_office order_assess influence_formation foreign_policy early_cold_war undertake base scrutiny official foreign_office meeting paper russia committee inception well cabinet paper private_paper key individual diary memoirs relevant secondary historical_source concludes russia committee vital piece intelligence provision british_government soviet communist time body collect analyse aspect soviet activity help determine deal emerge circumstance tension recognises policy formation joint enterprise part foreign secretary year cover foreign_office adviser help determine deal emerge threat concludes