| This dissertation examines the role of Georges Clemenceau toward the United States and Great Britain before and during the First World War. As a complex man who dealt with complex issues, there remain many aspects of Clemenceau's career which remain unexplored. Most previous studies have limited their analysis by situating him in the context of French national politics. Few have consulted archival sources beyond France's borders. Consequently, it is widely believed that Clemenceau was a narrow-minded French nationalist, when in fact he possessed broad cultural horizons. Taking advantage of new materials from French, British and American sources, this dissertation argues that Clemenceau was an international citizen who played a uniquely influential role in the conduct of inter-Allied diplomacy and military strategy. In the eyes of his contemporaries, he was not just a great French leader but a great Allied statesman.; This thesis is divided into five chapters. The first examines the formation of his cultural attitudes prior to 1914, paying particular attention to his relationship with the eccentric Maxse family and the English maverick socialist Henry Hyndman. Chapter Two examines his role in inter-Allied strategy during his years of wartime political exile, including his presidency of the "Inter-Allied Parliament." Chapters Three to Five examine his conduct of inter-Allied relations during his wartime premiership, with particular reference to his role in the conduct of unified command and French relations with the British and American armies. In the course of its analysis, this dissertation will shed new light on many other Allied leaders, including Woodrow Wilson, David Lloyd George, General Henry Wilson, Field-Marshal Haig, Marshal Foch, General Petain, and General Pershing. Throughout this comparative analysis, it will argue that France's international influence reached a peak under Clemenceau in the spring and summer of 1918 in spite of the many cultural and diplomatic obstacles with which he was confronted. This argument makes an original contribution not only to the literature on Clemenceau, but through him, to the available studies on inter-Allied relations on the western front during the First World War. |
