Britannia Overruled: British Policy and World Power in the Twentieth Century

Studies in Modern History

by David Reynolds

Blending analysis and narrative, David Reynolds offers an explanation of the British "decline". By examining Britain's economy, empire and international position, he reveals the limits of British power in its Victorian heyday. Determinist theories of decline take us only so the British Empire reached its largest extent after 1918. In other words, this was a country with weaknesses, but also many potential strengths. How that potential was realized raised the issues of policy - decisions about diplomacy, strategy and the use of national resources. Reynolds emphasizes the choices open to British leaders within the overall constraints imposed by diminishing power. The book looks closely at how successive British policymakers confronted the dilemmas of power during this century. The crises of both world wars are explained and even dated. The ebb and flow of the Anglo-German antagonism is related to the often-neglected rivalry between Britain and France. Appeasement in the 1900s is compared with appeasement in the 1930s. The "special relationship" with America, the Cold War with Russia, and Britain's handling of colonial nationalism are all given sustained attention. The author shows how, in the decade after the war, Britain was trying to play the role of a great power to an unprecedented degree. Decisions taken then about nuclear weapons, economic policy and Europe have haunted Britain ever since. Reynolds discusses in detail how British leaders have tried to adapt to the European Community since 1973, including a chapter on the successes and failures of Margaret Thatcher's foreign policy and concluding reflections on the impact of the 1989 European revolutions. This book weaves together conventional diplomatic history with analysis of strategy, domestic politics, and economic and imperial policies. It also draws on political science concepts of power, policymaking and the international system

Genres: History, Politics, 20th Century, Nonfiction

372 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database. For more information please see David Reynolds.

A Professor of International History and a Fellow of Christ's College, Cambridge. He was awarded a scholarship to study at Dulwich College, then Cambridge and Harvard universities. He has held visiting posts at Harvard, Nebraska and Oklahoma, as well as at Nihon University in Tokyo and Sciences Po in Paris. He was awarded the Wolfson History Prize, 2004, and elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2005. He teaches and lectures both undergraduates and postgraduates at Cambridge University, specialising in the two world wars and the Cold War. Since October 2013 he has been Chairman of the History Faculty at Cambridge.

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only read up until the declaration of war in 1939 - for a module I'm enrolled on next semester. Not a brilliant overview unfortunately, as it's quite badly organised and jumps from one theme to the next quite rapidly.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written synopsis of British policy and world power in the 20th century. Read for a graduate level British history class.