Portrait of an institution: The US Embassy in London, 1945-53.

Colman, J

Abstract

The US Embassy in London has long played a leading institutional role in the Anglo-American relationship,
but few historians have examined that role. Th is article covers the early Cold War era of 1945-1953 — a
formative period in the Anglo-American relationship — and considers issues such as the Embassy’s organization,
the range of work in which it participated and the contributions of the successive ambassadors.
Prominent policy issues during this period included the European Recovery Plan and the Berlin Crisis. It
is contended that the Embassy reached the peak of its peacetime importance under US Ambassador Lewis
Douglas from 1947-1950, and that its most important role was in policy liaison. Th is liaison function
stemmed from the need to coordinate British and US policies in the developing Cold War, and helped to
lay the foundations for the long-term ‘special relationship’. The article provides fresh insights into Anglo-American diplomatic bonds in a formative period.

Citation

Colman, J. (2009). Portrait of an institution: The US Embassy in London, 1945-53. Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 4(3), 339-360. https://doi.org/10.1163/187119109X455946

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Sep 1, 2009
• Deposit Date: Feb 16, 2010
• Journal: The Hague Journal of Diplomacy
• Print ISSN: 1871-1901
• Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 339-360
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/187119109X455946
• Keywords: us embassy in london; anglo-american 'special relationship'; ambassadors; diplomacy; policy liaison; representation; negotiation; lobbying; information-gathering; consular services; economic cooperation administration (eca); european recovery programme (erp); marshall aid; berlin criss
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/187119109X455946