Together and Alone in Allied London: Czechoslovak, Norwegian and Polish Governments-in-Exile, 1940–1945

Abstract

The vicissitudes of the Second World War generated many cases of political representation in exile. By 1942, London hosted eight governments and several ‘free movements’ that each claimed to be speaking for occupied and Axis Europe. The ‘international society’ in miniature that emerged encompassed myriad relationships, new and recast, resting upon perceptions of the self and of others. Still, research focuses on the disparate national narratives rather than international interactions among exiled policy makers. The example of Allied London shows how small power governments-in-exile struggled for credibility and agency while waging coalition warfare from ‘out of place’. Through the lens of diplomacy, one can examine the impact of physical proximity on bilateral relations and how new communication channels were employed in policy-making.