Networks of Empire: The US State Department's Foreign Leader Program in the Netherlands, France, and Britain 1950-1970Exchange programmes have been a part of US foreign relations since the nineteenth century, but it was only during and after World War II that they were applied by the US government on a large scale to influence foreign publics in support of strategic objectives. This book looks at the background, organisation, and goals of the Department of State's most prestigious activity in this field, the Foreign Leader Program. The Program (still running as the International Visitor Leadership Program) enabled US Embassies to select and invite talented, influential 'opinion leaders' to visit the United States, meet their professional counterparts, and gain a broad understanding of American attitudes and opinions from around the country. By tracking the operation of the Program in three key transatlantic allies of the United States a full picture is given of who was selected and why, and how the target groups changed over time in line with a developing US-European relationship. The book therefore takes a unique in-depth look at the importance of exchanges for the extension of US 'informal empire' and the maintenance of the transatlantic alliance during the Cold War. |
Contents
Preface | 11 |
INTRODUCTION Networks of Empire | 21 |
The History of US Government Exchanges | 49 |
Implementing the Leader Program | 75 |
The PvdA | 103 |
J M den Uyl | 114 |
Hein Vos | 129 |
The Trade Unions | 145 |
The Foreign Leader Program in Britain 195070 | 365 |
CONCLUSION The Problems of Evaluation | 403 |
FLP Grantees from Britain 195070 | 425 |
FLP Grantees from France 195070 | 445 |
FLP Grantees from the Netherlands 195070 | 473 |
List of Interviews | 483 |
Archives | 485 |
Select Bibliography | 487 |
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Common terms and phrases
activities Affairs American Amsterdam Archives Assistant became British Bureau Chief Committee communist concern contacts correspondent Council Country critical Cultural Department Decimal File Dept Deputy Diplomacy direct Director Dutch early economic Editor Educational Educational Exchange effect embassy Embassy The Hague established Europe European Exchange experience February field Folder force Ford Foundation Foreign Leader foreign policy France French Goedhart Group History important included increased influence Institute interest International interview invitation issue Italy January John Journalist July June Labour later Leader grant Leader Program major March meetings Ministry Netherlands October Office operation opinion organisation Paris participants party Plan political position Post President Press Professor Project Public PvdA relations Report returned role Secretary Service social society Studies tion tour trip Tyler Union United University USIS Washington DC Western York Youth