British Strategy and the Palestine Question 1936-39
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 10075551 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael J Cohen (0000-0002-2336-3782, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1972 |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 157-183 |
| Publication date | 1972-04-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Contemporary History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-0094 • E-ISSN: 1461-7250 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/002200947200700310 |
| OpenAlex | W2054933509 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
British policy in the Mediterranean was a function of the Imperial interest in India, and was largely determined by the need to control both exits from the inland sea at Gibraltar and at the Suez Canal. The Italian invasion of Abyssinia in October 1935 gave a profound shock to British strategic thinking. The Italy of Mussolini was not the minor power of the nineteenth century, 'to be tolerated' on the Nile hinterland and on the Red Sea exit from the Canal. In I935, when the British and French were trying to work out a compromise settlement, Italy defied a powerfully reinforced British Mediterranean Fleet, and troops and air forces based in Egypt. Under the Constantinople Convention of 1888, the Canal remained open to the passage of Italian ships. Enquiries by the Chiefs of Staff showed that, while many harsh words were being spoken in support of sanctions, no other Mediterranean powers apart from Britain had taken steps in preparation for active military intervention. In the event of war with Italy, Britain must expect to bear the brunt alone, at least for the first few weeks.1 Britain was not prepared to 'go it alone' against Italy. The year 1936 was one of greater danger to the Empire, and greater need for economic planning. The sanctions experiment was the final blow to the system of international security represented by the League of Nations, a system first flouted by Japan when she invaded Manchuria in I93I. If international sanctions could not stop aggression, then Britain would have to take diplomatic initiatives unilaterally: 'Collective security has proved unreliable, and we need some years to forge a more substantial deterrent to war, to take its place'.2 Economic sanctions against Italy were dropped on
Ancient history · Palestine · Political science · Archaeological Research and Protection · Historical and Contemporary Political Dynamics · History · World Wars: History, Literature, and Impact
| Citations per year | 0.1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 1977 - 2011 (35) |
| Highly cited | No |