Britain, Détente, and the Helsinki CSCE

'Fathers of the Final Act’

Kai Hebel (Leiden University, Netherlands)

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English

Routledge
15 September 2025

General & world history; British & Irish history; The Cold War; Military history; Diplomacy

Series: Cold War History

This book offers the first in-depth account of the United Kingdom’s contribution to the rapprochement between East and West that culminated in the successful negotiation of the Helsinki Final Act of 1975.

Britain’s role in this historic achievement has been understudied and understated. This book rectifies this shortcoming by tracing London’s important contribution to East-West diplomacy with a special focus on the negotiations of the Helsinki Final Act (1972–75). The Final Act was the product of almost three years of intense bargaining in the context of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe. Along with 34 other states, the UK negotiated core aspects of European international relations, including the political, territorial, and normative order of the divided continent. Taking full advantage of its new role as a member of the European Community and its traditional part in NATO, British negotiators skillfully navigated the opportunities and pitfalls of multilateral diplomacy. Their success in hammering out several of the most contested and most innovative provisions of the Helsinki Accord earned them the moniker of ‘Fathers of the Final Act’. Based on extensive archival research in eleven countries on three continents, this book traces the evolution of the negotiations, providing a compelling bottom-up account of how diplomacy works in practice against the backdrop of inter-state conflict and unequal power.

This book will be of much interest to students of Cold War History, European history, British history, and International Relations.

By: Kai Hebel (Leiden University Netherlands)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 156mm,
Weight: 730g
ISBN: 9780367031107
ISBN 10: 0367031108
Series: Cold War History
Pages: 296
Publication Date: 15 September 2025
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Introduction Chapter 1: Frameworks Chapter 2: From Pioneer to ‘Leper’ of Détente, 1953-1971 Chapter 3: ‘Cassandra’, 1972 Chapter 4: Insider Activist: Part 1, 1972-1973 Chapter 5: Insider Activist: Part 2, 1973 Chapter 6: ‘Fathers of the Final Act’: Part 1, 1973-1974 Chapter 7: ‘Fathers of the Final Act’: Part 2, 1974-1975 Conclusion

Kai Hebel is Assistant Professor of International Relations at Leiden University, the Netherlands. He has published on the Cold War, the CSCE, human rights, military intervention, transatlantic relations, EU foreign policy, political culture, and film. He holds advanced degrees from the Sorbonne, Philipps-Universität Marburg, and Oxford University, including a MPhil and a DPhil in International Relations.

Reviews for Britain, Détente, and the Helsinki CSCE: 'Fathers of the Final Act’

'This book is a major masterpiece. It breaks new ground by revealing for the first time the important role of British negotiators in drafting the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, a milestone in the history of modern diplomacy. Dr Hebel crafts an illuminating narrative of the complex negotiations, skilfully navigating a clear path through a huge forest of primary sources. The depth and breadth of his multi-archival research is truly impressive, as is his analytical rigour and argumentative power. His insights on negotiations between adversaries, the role of diplomacy, and the interplay between multilateralism and power will be of great and enduring interest to students and practitioners of international politics.' Richard Davy, author of Defrosting the Cold War and Beyond: An Introduction to the Helsinki Process, 1954-2022 'In Britain, Détente, and the Helsinki CSCE, Kai Hebel transforms our understanding of Britain’s place in European détente. Drawing on multi-archival research across NATO, Warsaw Pact, and non-aligned sources, Hebel overturns the myth of the UK as a marginal actor, revealing instead its evolution into a key architect of the Helsinki Final Act’s most liberalising provisions. Both as a revisionist contribution to Cold War historiography and as a model of integrating diplomatic history with international relations theory, this book will be indispensable to scholars seeking to understand the mechanics, meanings, and legacies of détente.' Aryo Makko, Swedish Defence University and Stockholm University