Brian Roberts and the origins of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty
ABSTRACT During his lifetime and beyond, Brian Roberts was often thought to be the éminence grise of the UK's Antarctic policy and also of the founding of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. Documentary evidence of his influence has, however, been conspicuously absent, due in part to the closure of rele...
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2016
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247416000292 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247416000292 |
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crcambridgeupr:10.1017/s0032247416000292 2024-03-03T08:38:02+00:00 Brian Roberts and the origins of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty Heavens, Steve 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247416000292 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247416000292 en eng Cambridge University Press (CUP) https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms Polar Record volume 52, issue 6, page 717-729 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development journal-article 2016 crcambridgeupr https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247416000292 2024-02-08T08:26:29Z ABSTRACT During his lifetime and beyond, Brian Roberts was often thought to be the éminence grise of the UK's Antarctic policy and also of the founding of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. Documentary evidence of his influence has, however, been conspicuously absent, due in part to the closure of relevant files in the UK's National Archives. Using Roberts’ personal files in the archives of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, files in the UK National Archives that remained closed for 50 years but have recently been released, and the recollections of surviving contemporaries of Roberts, it has been possible to establish the extent of his involvement in the evolution of the treaty and to add new elements that may contribute towards a reconstruction of its complex history. From 1956 Roberts developed a productive relationship with the UK Foreign Office's Head of American Department Henry Hankey that enabled them to influence the UK policy on Antarctica and to make a significant contribution towards the political settlement represented by the treaty. For Roberts and his colleagues in the Foreign Office the main purpose of the treaty was not primarily the promotion of international scientific collaboration but was essentially a means of addressing a political situation that had become otherwise intractable. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Polar Record Scott Polar Research Institute Cambridge University Press Antarctic Hankey ENVELOPE(-70.711,-70.711,-69.050,-69.050) Polar Record 52 6 717 729 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Cambridge University Press |
op_collection_id |
crcambridgeupr |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development Heavens, Steve Brian Roberts and the origins of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Ecology Geography, Planning and Development |
description |
ABSTRACT During his lifetime and beyond, Brian Roberts was often thought to be the éminence grise of the UK's Antarctic policy and also of the founding of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty. Documentary evidence of his influence has, however, been conspicuously absent, due in part to the closure of relevant files in the UK's National Archives. Using Roberts’ personal files in the archives of the Scott Polar Research Institute in Cambridge, files in the UK National Archives that remained closed for 50 years but have recently been released, and the recollections of surviving contemporaries of Roberts, it has been possible to establish the extent of his involvement in the evolution of the treaty and to add new elements that may contribute towards a reconstruction of its complex history. From 1956 Roberts developed a productive relationship with the UK Foreign Office's Head of American Department Henry Hankey that enabled them to influence the UK policy on Antarctica and to make a significant contribution towards the political settlement represented by the treaty. For Roberts and his colleagues in the Foreign Office the main purpose of the treaty was not primarily the promotion of international scientific collaboration but was essentially a means of addressing a political situation that had become otherwise intractable. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Heavens, Steve |
author_facet |
Heavens, Steve |
author_sort |
Heavens, Steve |
title |
Brian Roberts and the origins of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty |
title_short |
Brian Roberts and the origins of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty |
title_full |
Brian Roberts and the origins of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty |
title_fullStr |
Brian Roberts and the origins of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty |
title_full_unstemmed |
Brian Roberts and the origins of the 1959 Antarctic Treaty |
title_sort |
brian roberts and the origins of the 1959 antarctic treaty |
publisher |
Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
publishDate |
2016 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0032247416000292 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0032247416000292 |
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ENVELOPE(-70.711,-70.711,-69.050,-69.050) |
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Antarctic Hankey |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic Hankey |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Polar Record Scott Polar Research Institute |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctica Polar Record Scott Polar Research Institute |
op_source |
Polar Record volume 52, issue 6, page 717-729 ISSN 0032-2474 1475-3057 |
op_rights |
https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1017/s0032247416000292 |
container_title |
Polar Record |
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52 |
container_issue |
6 |
container_start_page |
717 |
op_container_end_page |
729 |
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1792503958417178624 |