The Paris Peace Conference marked a turning-point in international history generally, and for the British Empire in particular. This book studies the evolution of British plans for the peace settlement following the First World War. The introduction of expert advisers into the foreign policy process was a critical innovation. Some perceived new imperatives for the age, others remained wedded to traditional beliefs.

Erik Goldstein shows that the handful of individuals closely involved in the formulation of foreign policy succeeded in creating a coherent diplomatic strategy. He examines the growth of government planning and the changing relations between the Civil Service and ministers. He analyses the considerable influence of the little-studied Political Intelligence Department, whose members included Arnold Toynbee, Lewis Namier, Harold Nicolson, Alfred Zimmern, and Robert Vansittart. This detailed study of the Paris Peace Conference and its background makes a significant contribution to our understanding of twentieth-century European history.