Podcast Summary: New Books Network — Jeremy Black, "British Politics and Foreign Policy, 1744-57" (Routledge, 2016)

Episode Date: September 5, 2025
Host: Dr. Charles Petillo
Guest: Professor Jeremy Black

Overview

In this episode of the New Books in History channel, Dr. Charles Petillo interviews Professor Jeremy Black about his book "British Politics and Foreign Policy, 1744-57," which charts the turbulent mid-18th-century "mid-century crisis" in Britain. Black explains the interplay between constitutional monarchy, ministerial politics, finance, public opinion, and the complex foreign entanglements of George II’s reign—shedding light on enduring patterns and lessons for present-day international relations. The conversation is rich in historical nuance, interspersed with compelling analogies and critiques of previous historiography.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rationale and Relevance of the Book

• Why This Book:
  • Black sought to address both the 18th-century context and "our understanding of Britain's position and international relations then," calling the topic "relevant to the international relations of the present day" (02:12).

2. The Role of the Monarchy in Foreign Policy

• George II’s Influence:
  • The king was the premier architect of foreign policy, leveraging his constitutional position and experience, surpassing his ministers (02:36).
  • “The competence of monarchs very much rested on certain constitutional positions and political realities… the conduct of foreign policy, though not its financing, rested with the Crown.” — Jeremy Black (02:36)
• Hanover-Prussia Rivalry:
  • Personal and territorial antagonism between George II and Frederick the Great shaped alliances—with Prussia aligned with France, Britain with Austria (03:42).

3. Ministerial Politics and the Treasury Viewpoint

• Duke of Newcastle vs. Walpole:
  • Newcastle lacked Walpole’s political acumen and Commons presence (04:30).
• Henry Pelham’s Caution:
  • His approach as First Lord of the Treasury was pragmatic, asking, "is this sensible? Is this actually affordable?" Black laments scholarship often neglects this important financial realism (05:14–07:15).
• Interventionist Historiography Critiqued:
  • Black challenges the notion that maximal intervention should always be the ideal, stressing the dangers of overreach and the necessity of sustainable state finance (06:00–07:25).

4. Other Influential Figures and Political Dynamics

• Carteret (Earl Granville) held influence despite being outside core posts.
• William Pitt the Elder wielded Commons and public power, considered a threat by Newcastle and irritant by George II (07:36–09:10).
• Foreign policy responsibilities were divided between Secretaries of State for Northern and Southern Departments—the Foreign Office did not yet exist (08:50).

5. The Press and Public Opinion

• Nuanced impact: "There are some aspects of foreign policy in which newspapers are of singularly little or any consequence," but on issues with France and Spain, public sentiment constrained policy (09:24–12:14).
• Notably, returning Gibraltar to Spain or ignoring colonial skirmishes in America would have “not ... commend[ed] itself in public opinion,” shaping governmental action (11:35).

6. Political Factions and Policy Options

• Distinction between Tories/oppositional Whigs (favoring North American focus) and old-core Whigs (continental focus); also a “militarized” group around the Duke of Cumberland (12:18–13:02).
• Black warns against overly simplistic dichotomies, advocating recognition of multiple, intelligent governmental viewpoints (13:05).

7. Crisis Context and Contingency

• 1744–57 marked by existential crises: French invasion attempts, Jacobite uprising, and setbacks in Europe and overseas (13:25–15:15).
• Black’s central argument is to “move away from foreign policy as a kind of rhetorical device of idealism … and instead understand … national interests are by their very nature subject to debate and are established in particular contexts and contingencies” (17:18).

8. Jacobite Threat – How Close to Overthrow?

• Charles Edward Stuart was "one battle short" of toppling the Hanoverians in December 1745. A French landing could have changed history (19:42–21:57).

9. Religion in Foreign Policy

• Religion played a significant but non-determinative role. Alliances often cut across confessional lines, e.g., Britain allied with Catholic Austria despite Protestant solidarity rhetoric (22:06–24:40).

10. The 'Balance of Power' – Conceptual Critique

• Black describes the idea as "primarily a rhetorical device" that lacks analytical precision but is politically useful to justify particular policies (25:03–29:03).
• "Once you actually look at it with precision, you realize that the balance of power has got about as much precision behind it as some of the scholarship that's been produced on the period." — Jeremy Black (27:32)

11. Dealing with the 'Three Northern Courts'

• Austria and Russia’s rise in the east complicated the European system, but posed a greater challenge to France than to Britain (29:26–34:55).

12. Aftermath of the War of Austrian Succession and Diplomatic Realignments

• The peace of 1748 was both popular and unpopular—relief for some, disappointment for those favoring expansion (35:25).
• The Duke of Newcastle drove policy back toward alliance with Austria and the Dutch, distrusting rapprochements with France (36:14).
• “Foreign policy is often a matter of taking advantage of and working with short term agreements, cohesions of interests that can be brought to the fore in a particular contingency.” — Jeremy Black (38:56)

13. Diplomatic Revolution of 1756

• Sudden reshuffling saw former enemies become allies: Britain with Prussia, France with Austria, and other alignments broken (40:14–41:20).

14. Ohio Valley Dispute and Seven Years War

• Escalation in America was not desired at the highest levels; local events, and ministerial pressures forced government hands toward war (41:31–45:57).

15. Ministerial Collapses and Parliamentary Politics

• Newcastle's ministry fell amid war failures and poor management of Commons; subsequent ministries faltered until power-sharing stabilized the government (46:51–50:12).

16. The Strategic Crisis of 1757

• Britain confronted threat of invasion, military defeats in America and Europe, unreliable allies—an acute strategic crisis long before later triumphs (50:16–51:37).

17. Enduring Takeaway

• “Foreign policy is important and it's too important to be left to those people who come up with sort of facile arguments in which interventionism always appears as the correct response.” — Jeremy Black (51:42)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Role of the Treasury:
  • "Most of the scholarship on foreign policy has tended to neglect that position, neglect what I've called the treasury viewpoint… you did need to go on being able to finance the state, and if you didn't, you could lead to enormous political problems." — Jeremy Black (05:18, 06:58)
• On Political Retrospection:
  • "The problem is that people often think retrospectively, so that they don't necessarily judge the mistakes that contributed to crisis because they focus on the year of victory..." — Jeremy Black (14:55)
• On the Limits of 'Balance of Power':
  • “People love this language of precision and I’m afraid to say academics are a bit going the same way... the precision that is offered by such language is absent.” — Jeremy Black (27:56)
• On Contingency in History:
  • "You can play the counterfactual... it is entirely possible that there could have been an outcome" like 1688, if the Jacobite effort progressed a bit further (19:42–21:57).
• On Foreign Policy Understanding:
  • "Foreign policy is important... too important to be left to those people who come up with... facile arguments in which interventionism always appears as the correct response." — Jeremy Black (51:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Why Write the Book & Contemporary Relevance (02:12)
• George II’s Role in Foreign Policy (02:36–03:34)
• Ministerial Abilities: Newcastle vs. Walpole (04:30)
• The Treasury Viewpoint – Limits of Interventionism (05:14–07:29)
• Influence of William Pitt the Elder & Ministerial Rivalries (07:36–09:18)
• The Press and Public Opinion (09:24–12:18)
• Political Factions and Policy Choices (12:18–13:10)
• The Jacobite Near Miss (19:42–21:57)
• Religion in Foreign Policy (22:06–24:56)
• Critique of ‘Balance of Power’ (25:03–29:13)
• Austria, Prussia, Russia – 'The Three Northern Courts' (29:26–35:15)
• Peace of 1748 and Realignment (35:25–36:14)
• Diplomatic Revolution of 1756 (40:14–41:20)
• Ohio Valley and Lead-up to Seven Years’ War (41:31–45:57)
• Ministerial Collapses, Political Realignment (46:51–50:12)
• Strategic Crisis of 1757 (50:16–51:37)
• Main Takeaway from the Book (51:42)
• Reflections on Black’s Larger Work (52:08)

Conclusion

Professor Jeremy Black’s conversation provides a penetrating analysis of mid-18th century British foreign policy, foregrounding contingency, institutional complexity, and financial limitations, and challenging simplistic narratives of national interest and interventionism. Listeners are invited to rethink both the period’s history and how we conceptualize foreign policy and its lessons for the present.