Dominions, Great Britain and questions related to imperial foreign Policy implementation and direction in the 1920s and at the beginning of the 1930s

Abstract

The study focuses on the problems of British-Dominion relations with a special regard to the share of the Dominions in formation, execution and direction of the imperial foreign policy in the 1920s and at the beginning of the 1930s. In the post war period, it was expected that recognition of a formal independence and a new international status of the British Dominions would be take place. Concurrently with a wider conception of the Dominion autonomy, a more intensive cooperation was realised within the Empire, which gradually led to a bigger interest of the overseas autonomous units in the decision-making process concerning the direction of the imperial foreign policy. The observed problems concentrated on two main fronts, it means the measure of consultations among the mother country and the Dominions and individual foreign policy questions, crisis, incidents and events that, in reality, contributed to a discussion concerning the share of overseas autonomous units in the formation and execution of the Imperial foreign policy from the side of the British Foreign Office. Balfour Declaration adoption, increasing the importance of the Dominions, began the period that was significant with pacification of debates concerning execution of the imperial foreign policy and during which it was necessary to wait for next few years for this status legislative approval till the adoption of the Statute ofWestminster in December 1931.