Facing Fascism

From the time of the Abyssinian crisis through to the outbreak of the Second World War in western Europe, the British government was marked by very diverse attitudes with regard to, and adopted diverse policies towards, the fascist dictators of Europe. This book provides a complete history of the Conservative party from the 1930 to 1940 and explores its responses to the problems of fascism. Facing Fascism provides the historical context for the foreign policy of the period and examines the historiography of the Conservative party. The author also includes a chronological outline of the international situation between Hitler’s rise to power in 1933 and the outbreak of war. Drawing on neglected sources, including little known diaries, memoirs and minutes, Facing Fascism gives a new perspective on the Party’s policies focusing on members of the government aside from just Chamberlain and highlights important aspects such as the controversy over national servive. By exploiting new evidence and archives, N.J. Crowson provides alternative and original interpretations of the reactions of various elements of the Conservative party to the deepening international crisis.

Author Biography

Nick Crowson is Director of Research, Institute of Contemporary British History, London.