During, the Churchill Coalition, 1940-45, there developed within tile Government a coherent thesis that the Soviet Union would follow a post-war policy of cooperation with Britain. Soviet foreign policy-makers were perceived to have till-cc options; isolation, enmity or collaboration. Three central perceptions produced tile theory that cooperation was the likely choice. The first that developed, from 1940, was the view that Soviet aims were limited, largely defensive, and not likely to impinge upon areas of vital British interest. Far from desiring to propagwie world revolLitioii, Stalin simply wanted protection, particularly against a resurgent Germany, to continue the internal development of industrialization and state socialism interrupted by the war. After Barbarossa, the immense task of Soviet reconstruction became a second factor. Even if the USSR attempted to do this without foreign help, its rulers would seek tile cheapest possible foreign policy to enable them to coriccritratc on it: collective security in cooperation with Britain and possibly the USA. Third, Stalin was now secii iis it wise, realist statesman who had become persuaded of the wisdom of a cooperation policy will, the West. Linked with these assumptions were conclusions drawn from observations of changes in the USSR in the war, especially the revivill of nationalism, and from observation of the sensitivity of Soviet leaders. Debate on these percept ions and tile policy that should follow chiefly took place within the 1,0 departments, between thern and their ambassadors in Moscow and other places, with the military, and intermittently in Cabinet. Ilowevcr, while a policy combining "firmness" and "frankness" was preferred by most, considerations of Soviet sensitivity meant it wits never I'Llily implemented. Thus in February 1945, there was a rough consensus that [lie Soviets would try cooperation, but there was uncertainty as to the optimum British policy to maximise the chances of securing it.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:235433 |
| Date | January 1988 |
| Creators | Terry, A. |
| Publisher | University of Nottingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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