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Author : Ye. Osipova
Candidate of Science (Philosophy)
RUSSIAN-BRITISH RELATIONS have been recently
going through a period of deep recession. Sometimes one
can even hear assertions to the effect that Russophobia ex-
ists in Britain at the genetic level. But are the British so ir-
rational and emotional to be guided by their chemical
reactions at a biological level?
It appears that an answer to the above question can be
found in the fundamental work History of British Foreign
Policy.
It is obvious from the book's name that its content is much broader than the problem we have
outlined above. The authors examine a global nature of the British foreign policy over a long
historical period, which allows understanding the reasons behind the perpetual ups and downs
in our bilateral relations. The history of the British foreign policy is by no means a matter of
purely academic interest - it also provides an opportunity to define Russia's place and role for
Britain in time and space, against the backdrop of Britain's relations with other countries.
Let the reader not be confused by a "textbook" format. A textbook would contain a didactic
history of the United Kingdom's foreign policy. However, what is awaiting the reader is not only
a consistent account of historical events, but also the history of formation of the British foreign
policy ideology, an analysis of changes in priorities and the continuity in the operation of the
highly accomplished British diplomacy, its successes and virtues, its miscalculations and serious
failures ensuing from the extent to which the nation's political elite would realize its genuine
strategic interests.
Narrating a fascinating story about the twists and turns in Britain's relations with various coun-
tries, the authors demonstrate how life itself forced the country to break with some outdated
dogmas and ideologies for the sake of pragmatic national interests and security.
The authors analyze three fundamental miscalculations in Britain's foreign policy of 20th century:
"appeasement of aggressor" in the 1930s, participation in the Tripartite Aggression against Egypt
in 1956 (the Suez Crisis), and an erroneous assessment of the initial stage of the West European
integration (Britain's late entry into the EEC). The monograph examines the inter-party and
inner-party strife on foreign policy issues at different historical periods, and describes forces in
the British ruling class which forestalled the objective tendencies of world development or acted
contrary to them.
The authors hope, however, that "sooner or later a pendulum will swing in the opposite direction
and a considerable cooling of bilateral relations will ultimately be replaced by their inevitable
warming".
http://interaffairs.ru
On the United Kingdom's Eternal and Perpetual Interests