Britain and the Geneva Disarmament Conference

In this fascinating study, Carolyn Kitching examines the role which Britain played at the Geneva Disarmament Conference, an event which marked a watershed in inter-war international relations.

Britain''s role at the Geneva Disarmament Conference has traditionally been seen as that of ''Honest Broker'', mediating between the conflicting demands of Germany, who sought release from the disarmament restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles, and France who feared a resurgent Germany. Britain maintained that she had already disarmed to the lowest level compatible with her own perceived security needs, and therefore given the lead to other powers to follow her example. This analysis will show that the traditional interpretation of British policy at the Conference needs to be drastically revised. Whilst publicly paying lip-service to international disarmament, the British Government privately followed policies designed to improve Britain''s position relative to other major powers, seeking to increase, rather than decrease, the level of her armaments. Thus, Britain must bear a far larger share of responsibility for the failure of the Conference than has hitherto been assumed.