Preparing for Office: Lord Curzon as Acting Foreign Secretary, January-October 1919

Curzon succeeded Balfour as Foreign Secretary in October 1919. However, during Balfour's absence from London during the Paris Peace Conference, Curzon was responsible for a substantial amount of the decision-making on British foreign policy. Curzon's period as Acting Foreign Secretary is crucial to understanding his general approach to the job as whole, especially his relationship with the Prime Minister, Lloyd George, and with the Cabinet. It also provides a mind map of Curzon's approach to British diplomacy towards Europe and the Empire. The essay is an extension of the author's earlier work on the relationship between Curzon and Lloyd George, and suggests once again that their relationship was more harmonious than has often been portrayed in the past.