British Foreign Policy in an Age of Revolutions, 1783-1793

by Jeremy Black

In 1783 Britain had lost America and was unstable domestically. By 1793 she had regained her position as the leading global power. During the intervening years Britain went several times to the brink of war, and in 1793 Britain and France went beyond the brink. These successive crises are examined in an effort to throw light on the British state in an "Age of Revolutions." This is a study of British foreign policy in a crucial period of international political development. It provides a comprehensive account of the subject, and acts as a guide to the nature of the British state in the period and to international relations.

Genres: 18th Century

573 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 1994

About the author

Jeremy Black is an English historian, who was formerly a professor of history at the University of Exeter. He is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).

Reviews

[Alex Helling · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the American War of Independence was a turning point for Britain then the period from 1783-93 is feeling out what it meant for the country. Britain, having been riding high after the Seven Years War, was cut down to size by the independence of its biggest colony and loss against France and Spain at sea. The aftermath is a period of uncertainty for British policy. Was the loss because of the lack of an ally on the continent? Then Britain should try to build alliances for next time. Unfortunately the Continental powers are none too keen. As a result this period sees the British regularly fishing in troubled waters looking to catch an ally. Jeremy Black’s British Foreign Policy in an age of Revolutions provides a (mostly) narrative look at this period in foreign policy.

Having just read, and found rather unhelpful, Black’s more recent To Lose an Empire I am glad to say this book is easier to follow. It follows a chronological narrative where the main difficulties following it is the lack of a clear British strategy and resulting tentative and inconsistent policy. The book is immensely detailed so there is no getting away from the twists and turns. It makes for a somewhat dense read. That said it does therefore provide illumination on the British response to some rather obscure crises; the Nootka sound crisis and Ochakov crisis that might otherwise be skimmed over (and having heard of them but knowing nothing about them is partially why I read the book).

The detail also makes it complex, some of which is also down to travel times and following the divergent opinions of ambassadors so there are multiple threads and views on each policy or event that are followed, and several different ideas as to what might be in Britain’s strategic interests. However this can be an advantage; it is interesting to see the different ways the French Revolution was perceived and the ideas on how best to respond. This back and forth on policy and responding to events is how policy is made; policy can be messy and books that just tell you the outcome are much easier to follow, but make it look much tidier than it really is.

There are however some similar problems. Black can’t seem to help himself referring to events that have not yet happened in the narrative to point up similarities or differences which will perplex those, like me, who know nothing of the often obscure events. And it has some similar problems for example the way in which the prominence of domestic politics and Parliament in the narrative seems to vary considerably. I presume this is largely down to where there was interest from Parliament in a particular policy or event but this is not necessarily stated.

The final two chapters are a bit tacked on at the end; The domestic context of foreign policy, and The international system. Depending on your perspective you might see them as a conclusion or as wider argumentation chapters. If you don't see them as a conclusion then the issue is that there is no conclusion. If you do see them as a conclusion then it is a bit odd that they contain a lot of new ideas and argumentation e.g. on the stakes in warfare and whether the system was becoming more ravenous that could have been introduced earlier in the book. As they are introducing new arguments it is difficult to see these as drawing the threads of the book neatly together.

If you want a really in depth look at British foreign policy in the run up to the French Revolutionary war then this is the book for you.

[Teddy Dodger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I've already pronounced my 'faviroute' book by Jeremy Black several times, but I really did like this one more than I expected to. 500 pages on a decade most historians would consider to be obscure, on a topic outmodish to the modern social historians, Black makes the characters and events come alive in his narrative whilst also emphasising the contingent and the possibility of alternative paths and interpretations.

If we say the French Revolutionary wars are the transition from the 'early modern' to the 'modern', and the British, in winning those wars and dominating the 19th century, were important actors to that effect, then understanding Britain on the eve of the French Revolution, and understanding the alternative ways a European conflagration could have come about before 1792 are important.

Not quite a 5* read, last two chapters feel out of place, definitely needed a glossary of names and more maps, and no bibliography makes it hard to follow up on some cited sources. But really really good.