Description

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Much of today’s international order can be traced to the experimentations with governance that occurred in central Europe immediately after World War I. And though Western governments did not bring about the creation of Poland on their own or determine all of its eventual borders, their attempts to do so left many lingering grudges and made the years immediately following the war a crucial period in Polish and international history. Passion and Restraint examines how British, French, and American foreign policymakers interacted with Poles and the idea of an independent Poland during this period. Western policymakers knew little about Poland in 1914, but by war’s end they were drawing the new country’s borders, sending humanitarian aid, and imposing minority protections. Attitudes regarding national character and emotional restraint were central, intertwined themes in British, French, and American diplomacy during this period of Polish rebirth, and policymakers’ opinions of national character evolved based on personal experiences, political conditions, and dominant understandings of the Polish people in the early twentieth century. Amid these changing attitudes, policymakers emphasized the necessity of Polish emotional restraint. Demonstrating how emotions and stereotypes were integral to diplomatic decision-making, Passion and Restraint brings attention to these often-overlooked historical factors, advancing a new lens for the study of Polish, European, and international history.

About the Author

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Denis Clark has taught at the University of Oxford and the University of Calgary. He lives in Gatineau, Quebec

Praise For…

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“A multifaceted and nuanced look at a complex battle in an incredibly complex war. It will have you looking at photos and paintings of “The Great War” in a new light, considering both what was shown and what was left out.” Winnipeg Free Press

“A powerful and moving book. This is Canada’s First World War as we have never seen it before.” Colonel Chris Hadfield, astronaut and four-time best-selling author

“This innovative graphic history provides a new way of understanding the complexity and carnage of the First World War. Employing vivid graphics and authoritative history, Matthew Barrett and Robert C. Engen offer multiple and diverse perspectives to reclaim the Battle of Hill 70 for a new generation.” Tim Cook, author of Vimy: The Battle and the Legend

“Creative and innovative, Through Their Eyes offers a new way to commemorate and connect to the history of the First World War.” Sean Carleton, University of Manitoba and the Graphic History Collective

“Through Their Eyes presents a vivid depiction, both literally and figuratively, of the horrors of war. The authors view Hill 70 from the perspective of individuals at very different levels of status and responsibility, from the general to the frontline infantryman, interpreting scant evidence and imaginatively filling in the gaps.” Gary Sheffield, University of Wolverhampton