‘Diplomatic Light and Shade'

This chapter uses both 'Diplomatic Light and Shade' and Sir Eric Phipps correspondence to demonstrate that, while he shared the view of the Foreign Office that Britain's relations with France needed to be improved after the low ebb of the Ruhr crisis. He also believed that placing too much emphasis on a unity fostered by a western European security pact was not wise. He viewed the entente cordiale as a relationship of mutual dependence and one of a shared diplomatic heritage born out of the consequences of the First World War. He does not paint a romantic vision of the Anglo-French relationship, but provides a frank assessment of the ideas and attitudes of the most influential French politicians towards the diplomatic issues that faced France during the decade following the end of the First World War. Phipps credentials as a commentator on French politics and diplomacy during the mid-1920s were unparalleled in the diplomatic service.