Dr Thomas Mills
Senior Lecturer in Diplomatic and International History, Head of DepartmentProfile
I am Senior Lecturer in Diplomatic and International History, Chair of the Transatlantic Studies Association, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. My research interests centre on the diplomacy of Britain and the United States in the modern era, with a particular interest in the economic relationship between the two countries. I have a strong interest in applying historical knowledge towards a greater understanding of contemporary events and have collaborated with think tanks including the British Foreign Policy Group and am an Associate Fellow of Canning House.
Research Interests
My research lies in the field of modern international history, with a particular focus on political and economic relations between Britain and the United States. My early research explored this relationship in the context of Latin America, leading to my first book, Post-War Planning on the Periphery: Anglo-American Economic Diplomacy in South America, 1939-1945 (Edinburgh University Press, 2012). This strand of my research culminated with the recent publication of an edited collection, entitled: Britain and the Growth of US Hegemony in Twentieth-Century Latin America: Competition, Cooperation and Coexistence (Palgrave-Macmillan, 2020). Alongside this research I developed an interest in the contemporary role of Britain in Latin America, resulting in the publication of an article in the leading journal International Affairs, as well as collaborative projects with the British Foreign Policy Group and Canning House. The main focus of my current research expands my interest in Anglo-American economic relations in two directions. The first is an exploration of the role of British and American trade bodies in the reconstruction of international trade during the 1940s. The second, the subject of my next book, is a study of the ‘free trade tradition’ in Britain and the US from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Beyond these core interests, I am involved in a collaborative project drawing on large data sets to explore diplomatic networks among the British foreign service in the twentieth century. I also have a side interest in the political and cultural significance of the 1960s British pop group, the Beatles.
Current Teaching
HIST442: International Order and Disorder
HIST344: From Balfour to Brexit: Britain as a Great Power since 1914
External Roles
Chair, Transatlantic Studies Association
Associate Fellow, Canning House
Fellow, Royal Historical Society
Fellow, Higher Education Academy
Editorial Board member, Journal of Transatlantic Studies
PhD Supervision Interests
I am interested in doctoral proposals in twentieth century British and American foreign policy, especially relating to economic relations and diplomacy between the two countries.
British Diplomacy in Latin America at the Turn of the 21st Century
01/01/2015 → …
Research
Britain in the Back Yard: The United States and Great Britain in the 20th Century
01/07/2014 → 31/07/2016
Research
The Diplomacy of British and American Business Groups and the Reconstruction of International Trade in the 1940s
01/01/2014 → …
Research
A Washington-Paris Embassy Network?” Roundtable on “Diplomatic Networking: New Approaches and Methodologies
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Britain and Latin America in the Age of US Hegemony
Invited talk
Britain and the Growth of US Hegemony in South America
Invited talk
Britain and the Growth of US Hegemony in South America
Invited talk
After the “Republic of Suffering”: The Culture of War Death in the Era of Forever War
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Reviewing the Canning Agenda
Invited talk
An Anglo-American Free Trade Tradition? British and American Approaches to International Trade, 1846-1948
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Beatlemania and the Cultural Politics of 1960s America
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Revitalising UK-Latin America Engagement Post-Brexit
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Oxford Roundtable discussion on UK Business in Latin America
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Roundtable discussion on “‘Diplomacy and Soft Power”
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Roundtable discussion on From Brexit to President Trump
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Transatlantic Studies Association Annual Conference
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Transatlantic Studies Association annual conference
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Trump, Brexit and the Future of the 'Special Relationship'
Invited talk
Teaching Diplomacy using Mock-Negotiations
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
PPR Roundtable: Reflections on the US Presidential Election
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Clinton, Trump and the Futuer of US Foreign Policy
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Capitalists of the World Unite! British and American Business Groups and the Reconstruction of Multilateral Trade, 1941-1948
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Economic and Social Research Council (External organisation)
Membership of committee
The Electrification of the Central Brazilian Railway and British Interests in Latin America during World War II
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Jeremy Corbyn and the History of the Labour Party
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Journal of Transatlantic Studies (Journal)
Editorial activity
Lancaster University Student's Union History Society Talk
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
The Outer Limits of the ‘Special Relationship’: Anglo-US Relations in Latin America during the Second World War
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
British Industry and US-UK Economic Diplomacy during World War II
Invited talk
British Diplomacy in Latin America at the Turn of the 21st Century: A Witness Seminar
Public Lecture/ Debate/Seminar
Another side of 1964
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
British Industry and US-UK Economic Diplomacy during World War II
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Great Britain and the United States in Latin American in the Twentieth Century
Participation in conference -Mixed Audience
Reflections on the Arab Uprisings
Participation in workshop, seminar, course
Anglo-American Economic Diplomacy Towards South America during the Second World War
Invited talk
What will the result of the American Election mean for US relations with the Middle East
Invited talk
Centre for War and Diplomacy
- Centre for War and Diplomacy