Between Geneva and Ottawa

Abstract

The interwar years marked the completion of attempts to establish a system of preferential trade within the British Empire, and the newly formed Imperial Economic Committee sought to present a modern vision of empire, in cooperation with the League of Nations. However, while Britannic sentiment remained strong in the Dominions, there was a new sense of scepticism regarding the British World’s cohesion and its future economic prospects. The League of Nations also provided new opportunities to challenge Britain’s economic leadership. Understandings of preferential trade were reshaped during the First World War and its aftermath, with increased attention focused on imperial modernization through ‘scientific’ management and the value of grading tariffs to aid relations with ‘friendly’ nations. During the 1930s it became increasingly clear that imperial cooperation could do little to solve key economic problems connected to production and food supplies, which needed to be tackled through broader international agreements.