| Popis: |
Total war on a global scale emphasised Britain’s reliance on foreign oil supplies. As a consequence, Venezuela took on particular significance within the Allied war effort. Concurrently, US officials were concerned that their domestic oilfields would soon be exhausted and began to construct a cohesive foreign oil policy in which Venezuela played a significant role. Yet these interests were threatened as, throughout the war, the Venezuelan government introduced reforms designed to secure a greater share of oil industry profits for the state. To safeguard their access to Venezuelan oil, British and US officials collaborated with oil company executives to formulate and carry out their policy objectives. This chapter thus analyses state-private sector interaction in foreign relations, and the effect of this dynamic on British and US policy towards Venezuela. |
