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The Business of Armaments

Armstrongs, Vickers and the International Arms Trade, 1855–1955

Joanna Spear author

Format:Hardback

Publisher:Cambridge University Press

Published:19th Jan '23

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

The Business of Armaments cover

Explores Britain's most prominent armaments firms and their relationships with the British Government and foreign states from 1855 to 1955.

This is a study of Britain's most prominent armaments firms and of their relationships with the British Government and foreign states from 1855 to 1955. It reveals how the firms developed and utilized independent domestic strategies and foreign policies against the backdrop of imperial expansion and the two world wars.How did Britain's most prominent armaments firms, Armstrongs and Vickers, build their businesses and sell armaments in Britain and overseas from 1855 to 1955? Joanna Spear presents a comparative analysis of these firms and considers the relationships they built with the British Government and foreign states. She reveals how the firms developed and utilized independent domestic strategies and foreign policies against the backdrop of imperial expansion and the two world wars. Using extensive new research, this study examines the challenges the two firms faced in making domestic and international sales including the British Government's commitment to laissez faire policies, prejudices within the British elite against those in trade, and departmental resistance to dealing with private firms. It shows the suite of strategies and tactics that the firms developed to overcome these obstacles to selling arms at home and abroad and how they built enduring relationships with states in Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East.

ISBN: 9781009297523

Dimensions: 235mm x 158mm x 28mm

Weight: 720g

314 pages