
Paris 1918
The War Diary of the British Ambassador, the 17th Earl of Derby
David Dutton(Editor)
Liverpool University Press
Published on 1. May 2001
Book
Hardback
384 pages
978-0-85323-517-0 (ISBN)
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Description
The diary of the 17th Earl of Derby, once thought to have been lost, provides a detailed and important account of the last months of the First World War as seen through the eyes of the British Ambassador in Paris. Derby was in many ways an unlikely choice as ambassador. He was not a diplomat and could not, on his arrival, speak French. His appointment owed much to Lloyd George's determination to remove him from his previous post as Secretary of State for War. But, after a somewhat uncertain start, he proved to be a very successful ambassador upon whom successive Foreign Secretaries, Arthur Balfour and Lord Curzon, relied heavily for their appreciation of the situation on the other side of the Channel. Derby took up his appointment at a crucial period of the war when military victory still seemed some way off. He became an assiduous collector of information which he dictated into his diary on a daily basis. Derby's embassy became renowned for its lavish hospitality. But this was far from being self-indulgence, for he firmly believed that entertaining was the best way to win the confidence of his French associates and therefore to obtain information that would be of use in London. Derby's diary provides important insights into the state of the war, the often strained relationship between Britain and France and the intrigues of French domestic politics.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Liverpool
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 239 mm
Width: 163 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-85323-517-0 (9780853235170)
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Schweitzer Classification
Content
Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction
Persons mentioned frequently in the diary
Diary
May 1918
June 1918
July 1918
August 1918
September 1918
October 1918
November 1918
Index
Abbreviations
Introduction
Persons mentioned frequently in the diary
Diary
May 1918
June 1918
July 1918
August 1918
September 1918
October 1918
November 1918
Index