Yvon delbos and anthony eden: Anglo-french cooperation, 1936-1938

Stone, Glyn

Abstract

The period of tenure of Anthony Eden and Yvon Delbos as the foreign ministers of their respective countries coincided with a remarkable improvement and convergence in Anglo-French relations. This was no accident. Both men had similar ideas in relation to the challenges confronting Britain and France in international affairs. Neither wanted really close relations with Soviet Russia and both supported non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War despite their growing concern over German and Italian intervention. Delbos was highly critical of Mussolini's Italy and was firmly opposed to a Franco-Italian rapprochement while Eden, having originally given the Duce the benefit of the doubt, came to distrust him and to oppose even conversations with Italy without prior concessions, such as the withdrawal of Italian volunteers from Spain. Finally, both supported the appeasement of Nazi Germany, including colonial concessions, although Delbos towards the end of his period as foreign minister became more sceptical as to the prospects for success. © Glyn Stone 2006.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2006
• Journal: International Journal of Phytoremediation
• Print ISSN: 1522-6514
• Electronic ISSN: 1549-7879
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 17
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 799-820
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09592290600943395
• Keywords: Yvon Delbos, Anthony Eden, Anglo-French cooperation, 1936-1938
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/1035137
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09592290600943395
• Additional Information: Additional Information : This article appears in a special issue of Diplomacy and Statecraft to commemorate the centenary of the Entente Cordiale in 2004. Professor Stone is joint editor of this special issue which is based on papers presented to a conference held jointly by the British International History Group and The National Archives. He organised this conference on behalf of both organisations. The special issue will be published by Routledge (Taylor and Francis) in 2008 under the title 'Anglo-French Relations since the late Eighteenth Century'.