Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Volume 6

Documents on Irish Foreign Policy Volume VI, 1939-1941

Documents in Irish Foreign Policy, Volume VI, illustrates, in a unique manner unavailable in any other history of the period, the threats reland faced during the first years of the Second World War. It shows how Minister for External Affairs Eamon de Valera, Secretary of the epartment Joseph Walshe, and the officials of the Department of External Affairs sought to protect Ireland''s sovereignty and independence hrough neutrality in a period where the threat to the state of invasion was real and ever-present.

The volume is particularly strong on British-Irish relations, Irish-American relations and relations between Ireland and Germany. It also publishes important accounts of life in wartime Europe through the confidential reports of the Irish diplomatic representatives in London, Paris, Berlin, Rome and the Vatican City. Through the despatches of the Irish Ministers in Washington and Ottawa the volume shows how the United States and Canada both put pressure on Ireland''s stance by criticising the state''s neutrality and how Irish diplomats sought to overcome these threats.

This new volume will attract the same high level of public interest as have previous volumes in the series. Books on the Emergency are always eagerly awaited and well received. We expect that the volume will be of great use to third level students in Ireland studying the history of Ireland during the Emergency. Documents can also be consulted online through the DIFP website at www.difp.ie where previous volumes of DIFP are already available.