Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Chatham House, also known as the Royal Institute of International Affairs, was founded in 1920 and has been based in St James’s Square, central London, since 1923. The Institute soon acquired a reputation as one of the world’s leading think tanks on international affairs and has maintained this ever since, despite increasing competition. It has been a base for high-quality research as well as important meetings, including those held under the famous ‘Chatham House rule’. The book covers the first 100 years of the Institute’s history in three sections: between the two World Wars; the period from 1945 until the end of the Cold War; and the time from the fall of the Berlin Wall up to 2020. The authors have used the Institute’s archives as well as public documents, secondary works, and interviews to build a picture of the Institute and its activities over its first 100 years. While not every aspect of Chatham House’s work could be covered, the main themes have been given full attention—Empire, economic crisis, and appeasement between the wars; post-war reconstruction, decolonisation, Europe, and strategy after 1945; and climate, identity politics, transatlantic relations, and Brexit. The book also explores the internal life of Chatham House and the role of key personalities, such as Lionel Curtis, Arnold Toynbee, and E.H. Carr.</jats:p>