
A Grand Strategy of Peace
Britain and the Creation of the United Nations Organization, 1939-1945
Andrew Ehrhardt(Author)
Manchester University Press
Published on 2. September 2025
Book
Hardback
340 pages
978-1-5261-8337-8 (ISBN)
Description
A grand strategy of peace is the first detailed account of Britain's role in the creation of the United Nations Organization during the Second World War. As a work of traditional diplomatic history that brings in elements of intellectual history, the book describes how British officials, diplomats, politicians, and writers - previously seen to be secondary actors to the United States in this period - thought about, planned for, and helped to establish a future international order. While in the present day, many scholars and analysts have returned to the origins of the post- 1945 international system, this book offers an exhaustive account of how the statesmen and more importantly, the officials working below the statesmen, actually conceived of and worked to establish a post-war world order. -- .
Reviews / Votes
'A fascinating account of how British officials worked during the Second World War on the design of a new world organisation that would somehow preserve British influence, which might otherwise be expected to decline, while promoting collective security.' Sir Lawrence Freedman, Emeritus Professor of War Studies, King's College London'A grand strategy of peace fills in what has been up to now an underappreciated part of the complex story of how the United Nations came to be. Drawing on extensive research and with a keen eye for both the big picture and the telling detail, Andrew Ehrhardt shows the key role played by British thinking, planning and diplomacy during and just after the Second World War. His book is a major contribution to scholarship as well as a timely reminder of the great issues and challenges which still face the nations of the world today.' Margaret MacMillan, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Toronto and an Emeritus Professor of International History at Oxford University -- .
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Manchester
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
675 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5261-8337-8 (9781526183378)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Andrew Ehrhardt
A Grand Strategy of Peace
Britain and the Creation of the United Nations Organization, 1939-1945
E-Book
09/2025
Manchester University Press
€126.99
Available for download
Person
Andrew Ehrhardt is Deputy-Director of the Centre for Grand Strategy and a Research Fellow in the Department of War Studies at King's College London -- .
Content
Introduction
1 The search for British war aims, September 1939 - December 1940
2 The Foundations of an Anglo-American Order, 1941
3 A Concert of the World, 1942
4 The United Nations Plan, January-July 1943
5 The Balancing Act of a Great Power Peace, August - December 1943
6. Making the Machine: Planning for the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, January - July 1944
7 Delivering on the plans: Dumbarton Oaks, the Veto Question, and a Western Security Group, August 1944 - January 1945
8 The Final Push: Yalta and San Francisco Conferences, February - June 1945
Conclusion -- .
1 The search for British war aims, September 1939 - December 1940
2 The Foundations of an Anglo-American Order, 1941
3 A Concert of the World, 1942
4 The United Nations Plan, January-July 1943
5 The Balancing Act of a Great Power Peace, August - December 1943
6. Making the Machine: Planning for the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, January - July 1944
7 Delivering on the plans: Dumbarton Oaks, the Veto Question, and a Western Security Group, August 1944 - January 1945
8 The Final Push: Yalta and San Francisco Conferences, February - June 1945
Conclusion -- .