The Balkan Locarno in the UK Foreign Policy in 1925-1926

The successful conclusion of the Locarno Conference of 1925 contributed to the formation of an idea at the Foreign Office about the possibility of strengthening the Versailles order by spreading the “Locarno model” in the territory outside of Western Europe. The Balkan Peninsula was one of the regions where British diplomats promoted the idea of the “new Locarno”. The idea of the “Balkan Locarno” voiced by A. Chamberlain and picked up by local politicians was aimed at stabilizing the troubled situation in the Balkans and reconciling the “winners” and “losers” of the World War. At the same time, this project reflected the traditional London policy of maintaining a balance of power between France and Italy, which fought for influence on the peninsula. In addition, each of the players, great powers as well as small countries, pursued their interests and offered various options for the “Balkan Pact”. For the British diplomats it meant the union of the Balkan countries in the framework of a guarantee pact without any division into “winners” and “losers”. French plans called for the strengthening of “rear alliances” in Southeastern Europe, while Italian plans called for the union of revisionist countries around fascist Italy. The project remained unfulfilled due to the conflict between the Balkan countries, the Franco-Italian rivalry in the region and inconsistent policies of Great Britain, which avoided deep involvement in regional conflicts in order to preserve the Empire forces. Despite this, the study of the diplomatic struggle around the “Balkan Locarno” allows to clarify what role the Balkan vector played in British foreign policy in the mid-1920s and assess the potential of the “new Locarno” security projects in South-Eastern Europe.

Keywords

Great Britain’s foreign policy, A. Chamberlain, Locarno conference, Balkans, Balkan Locarno, Balkan Pact, Versailles system

Received

29.07.2020

Publication date

07.12.2020

Number of characters

45743

Cite

GOST	Rodin D. The “Balkan Locarno” in the UK Foreign Policy in 1925-1926 // Novaia i noveishaia istoriia – 2020. – Issue 6 C. 106-120 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://nni.jes.su/S013038640012695-2-1 (circulation date: 20.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013038640012695-2
MLA	Rodin, Denis "The “Balkan Locarno” in the UK Foreign Policy in 1925-1926." Novaia i noveishaia istoriia 6 (2020):106-120. DOI: 10.31857/S013038640012695-2
APA	Rodin D. (2020). The “Balkan Locarno” in the UK Foreign Policy in 1925-1926. Novaia i noveishaia istoriia (6), pp.106-120 DOI: 10.31857/S013038640012695-2

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