BEFORE “UNCLE JOE” CROSSED THE RUBICON: THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE’S PERCEPTION OF THE SOVIET IMPACT ON ANGLO-TURKISH RELATIONS IN THE EARLY COLD WAR ERA (1945-46) Cover Image

BEFORE “UNCLE JOE” CROSSED THE RUBICON: THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE’S PERCEPTION OF THE SOVIET IMPACT ON ANGLO-TURKISH RELATIONS IN THE EARLY COLD WAR ERA (1945-46)
BEFORE “UNCLE JOE” CROSSED THE RUBICON: THE BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE’S PERCEPTION OF THE SOVIET IMPACT ON ANGLO-TURKISH RELATIONS IN THE EARLY COLD WAR ERA (1945-46)

Author(s): İlker Cender
Subject(s): Diplomatic history, Political history, WW II and following years (1940 - 1949)
Published by: Karadeniz Araştırmaları Merkezi
Keywords: Anglo-Turkish Relations; The Soviet Union; Cold War; British Foreign Office;

Summary/Abstract: The rearrangement of global politics was an inevitable consequence of the Second World War. As part of this process, even before the war ended, the Soviet Union took steps which would provide a basis for her future policies. Accordingly, it embarked on a war of nerves on Turkey. This new struggle not only affected the relations between Turkey and the Soviet Union but also had profound effects on the relations between Turkey and Britain, which had been officially linked with an alliance prior to the Second World War. While Britain endeavoured to keep what was left of its global dominance, Turkey struggled to stand firm against the threat imposed by an emerging super power neighbouring country. Since the search for support from the United States, which had emerged as another global super power at the end of the war, proved futile for Turkish policy makers, they naturally turned to their British ally. In the light of the above-mentioned, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of the Soviet threat faced by Turkey in the early Cold War era on Anglo-Turkish relations as perceived by the British Foreign Office.

  • Issue Year: 2021
  • Issue No: 69
  • Page Range: 33-46
  • Page Count: 14
  • Language: English