HAROLD NICOLSON
(Sir Harold George Nicolson)
There have been times in democracies where a foreign ministry (State Department) is isolated from the elected politicians and implements a foreign policy that is at odds with the wishes of the elected officials and the majority of the nation. A good American example of this was in 1948 where America had to decide whether to support the creation of the State of Israel in the United Nations and through diplomatic recognition. The professional diplomats in the State Department had developed very close relations with Arab States, and many State Department employees were anti-Semitic. In addition, they thought the most important thing for America was not to risk the Arab oil supply. Meanwhile, the people, Congress, and President Truman were on the other side and Truman had to finally order The Secretary of State to stop his professional diplomats from pursuing their own foreign policy preferences. Even then some did not.
The very next day Hitler would begin his land invasion of Poland.
Sir Harold George Nicolson KCVO CMG was a British politician, diplomat, historian, biographer, diarist, novelist, lecturer, journalist, broadcaster and gardener. His wife was the writer Vita Sackville-West.
