Tradition and adaptation: the French foreign ministry in the era of the First World War

Jackson, P. (2010) Tradition and adaptation: the French foreign ministry in the era of the First World War. French History, 24(2), pp. 164-196. (doi: 10.1093/fh/crq031)

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Abstract

Attempts to ‘republicanize’ and ‘democratize’ the Quai d’Orsay before 1900 had limited impact on the practices and predispositions of the foreign ministry personnel. More important was the ministry’s response to changes in the international sphere in the late nineteenth century and again after the First World War. The explosion of international trade and introduction of new communications technologies vastly expanded the speed at which international politics took place and the information required to manage foreign policy. The institutional reforms and restructuring of 1907, mostly the handiwork of Philippe Berthelot, were a response to these transformations. Among the most important consequences of these reforms was the emergence of a new generation of increasingly professional officials, better-equipped to adapt to the challenges of the post-1918 era.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Jackson, Professor Peter
Authors: Jackson, P.
Subjects:D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D204 Modern History
D History General and Old World > D History (General) > D501 World War I
D History General and Old World > DC France
College/School:College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > History
Journal Name:French History
Publisher:Oxford University Press
ISSN:0269-1191
ISSN (Online):1477-4542
Published Online:01 January 2010

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