British Use of "Dirty Tricks" in External Policy Prior to 1914

• Autores: J. W.M. Chapman
• Localización: War in history, ISSN-e 1477-0385, ISSN 0968-3445, Vol. 9, Nº. 1, 2002, págs. 60-81
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The war in South Africa from 1899 irrevocably changed the character of British foreign policy from one of disdaining the behaviour of the continental European states to one of imitation of their methods through acceptance of the premiss that a fully functioning secret service needed to be established in Britain in order to ensure national defence in peacetime. Not only was press and cable censorship instituted, but the communications of enemy and neutral states were intercepted and deciphered where possible and steps were taken to exploit Britain's dominance of the global communication system in the course of hostilities. In addition, the traditional policy of blockade of ports supplying goods and services to the enemy was supplemented by a resort to bribery and sabotage, which were sanctioned by politicians and officials who normally pursued public business with the utmost probity.