British Foreign Office on the Eve of the First World War

Abstract

The article discusses some aspects of the functioning of the British Foreign Office on the eve of the First World War. The focus is on the reforms of 1903—1906, which were aimed at solving the problem of providing professional expertise necessary for effective conduct of foreign policy, and contributed to increasing the role of the Ministry in foreign policy decision-making. The author dwells on the activities and views of several high-ranking Foreign Office officials, who combined, to varying degrees, adherence to the traditions and practices of the Victorian era and readiness for changes caused by the realities of politics of the late 19th — early 20th century.