Sir Austen Chamberlain, the Marquess of Crewe and Anglo-French Relations, 1924–1928

Abstract

During the mid-1920s, Britain's relationship with France was of crucial importance to understanding the entire rationale behind British policy towards European diplomacy. This article is concerned with the dynamics of the relationship between the francophile British Foreign Secretary, Sir Austen Chamberlain and Britain's ambassador to Paris, the Marquess of Crewe. Both men remained in post for sufficient time to influence the tone as well as the direction of Anglo-French relations, and yet in the case of Crewe, nothing to date has been written about his contribution to international diplomacy. This article argues that many of Chamberlain's ideas about Anglo-French relations were shaped by the ideas and influence of Crewe, especially on issues concerning French security and disarmament policy. Focus is placed on the later stages of the Ruhr crisis, the implementation of the Geneva Protocol, the Treaty of Locarno and the origins of the Kellogg–Briand Pact.