Deterrence, Coercion, and Appeasement: British Grand Strategy, 1919-1940

Deterrence, Coercion, and Appeasement is a book that explores British grand strategy in the inter-war period, highlighting the relationships between foreign policy, grand strategy, military force, intelligence, finance, and domestic politics. It shows how policy-makers sought peace with security in the 1920s but faced difficulties in the 1930s due to the international system's unfavorable circumstances. The book also provides a new account of how and why Neville Chamberlain appeased the fascist powers in the late 1930s and why Winston Churchill opposed him and eventually supplanted him in May 1940.

Format: Hardback
Length: 640 pages
Publication date: 17 March 2022
Publisher: Oxford University Press

Deterrence, Coercion, and Appeasement presents a comprehensive and innovative examination of British grand strategy during the interwar period. While most existing accounts focus on diplomacy, foreign affairs, intelligence, or military affairs in isolation, this study highlights the interconnectedness of foreign policy, grand strategy, military force, intelligence, finance, and, most importantly, domestic politics and public opinion. As the sole global power in the interwar era, Britain faced challenges on a global scale. Policy-makers aimed to achieve two primary goals: peace with security. They successfully pursued these objectives in the 1920s, partly due to favorable circumstances that made their task relatively straightforward and partly because they possessed a deep understanding of British power's strengths and limitations and knew how to effectively wield them. However, the situation rapidly deteriorated in the 1930s as the international system became increasingly unfavorable to Britain. Policy-makers proved less adept than their predecessors at addressing these new challenges, partly due to the more formidable nature of these challenges but also because they lacked the self-confidence and experience of their predecessors, who had held high office during the most challenging years of the First World War and possessed a profound understanding of international power dynamics.

The study concludes by offering a fresh and sophisticated account of how and why Neville Chamberlain appeased the fascist powers in the late 1930s, and why Winston Churchill opposed him and eventually supplanted him in May 1940. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics of British grand strategy during a critical period of history.

Weight: 1306g
Dimension: 181 x 253 x 44 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780192863355