1.4 Foreign Relations Flashcards
EEC
. Economic union, often known as the Common Market
. Established by the Treaty of Rome in 1957
. 6 founding members: France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg
The Schuman Plan
. 1950
. Set out proposals for a Coal and Steel Community that’d integrate French and German heavy industry to promote rapid economic reconstruction
. Bound together historic enemies: France + Germany, to eliminate dangers of future wars between them
Foundation of EEC
Why did Britain not join the EEC initially?
. The Left were suspicious of free-market principles behind Common Market: “the Durham miners won’t wear it I’m afraid” - Labour politician Herbert Morrison
. The Right regarded relations with commonwealth as more important that with Europe
. Britain wanted to maintain the ‘Special Relationship’
Messina Conference
. 1955, Sicily
. EEC took shape
. British delegate was present to observe but not join
Success of EEC
. Dominated by French-German partnership
. French President from 58, Charles de Gaulle, determined to protect partnership from ‘Les Anglo Saxons’ - Britain, and through them, America
. British attitudes soon began to shift
The European Free Trade Association
. 1959
. Formed by Britain
. Wasn’t able to match economic growth of EEC
Britain’s 1st Application to the EEC
. 1961, submitted by Macmillan
. Britain still wanted to keep its position in 2 other areas of world affairs: the Commonwealth and the US
. This made EEC negotiations difficult
. Britain struggled to conform to their economic structures, especially the Common Agricultural Policy
Reasons for Britain’s 1st Application to the EEC
. Hoped joining the EEC would:
- boost industrial production for a large scale export market
- increase industrial efficiency with greater competition
- stimulate economic growth with rapid economic expansion already seen in the EEC
. US was keen for Britain to join for strategical reasons: vital link between Europe and US: tensions rising bc of cold war
The Veto
. Despite successful negotiations, de Gaulle blocked Britain’s application in January 1963
. He distrusted ‘les Anglo-Saxons’, mainly Americans
. The other 5 members of the EEC were as shocked and disappointed as Britain, but couldn’t dissuade him
. Caused bad relations between France and Britain for a while
The ‘Special Relationship’
. Became close allies during early yrs of Cold War
. Both committed to stop threat of Communism in Europe
. Britain relied on financial support of USA to help recover from WWII
How did Britain support US during early years of the Cold War?
. 1945: Yalta and Potsdam conference
. 1946: Iron Curtain speech - Churchill
. 1948: Joint British/US action during Berlin airlift
. 1949: Britain became a founder member of NATO
. 1950: UK sent troops as part of UN task force to Korea
. 1961-63: Macmillan formed close ties with Kennedy
Threats to the ‘Special Relationship’
. The US didn’t share nuclear secrets with Britain after WWII (began again after 1958)
. Britain was militarily stretched and dependent on US
. Suez crisis put Britain in a weak position in the world
. The Burgess and Maclean affair (1930s)
. Britain’s relationship with the EEC
The Burgess and Maclean Affair
. Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean: highly placed officers in British intelligence
. Defected to Soviet Union in 1951
. Concerns about finding the ‘Third Man’ who had tipped them off
. Revelation that Brit spies were leaking vital info to Moscow deeply worried America, reluctant to share info with Britain
Britain’s first tests of the Atomic Bomb
. 1952: 3rd country in the world to develop nuclear weapons after USA and USSR
. By this point the US and USSR were already developing the more powerful hydrogen bomb
. Britain’s ‘H’ bomb was tested in 1957
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
. 1958, backed by middle class and intellectuals
. Wanted Britain to reject nuclear weapons and follow a policy of unilateral disarmament
. 8000 protesters assembled at the weapons base at Aldermaston, Berkshire, 1958. Bigger march in 1959
. ‘unilateralism’ became a magnet for anti-govn protest and many Labour left-wing joined in
Mutual Defence Agreement
. 1958
. Under it, the US once again agreed to share nuclear technology with Britain
Blue Streak
. Britain’s own rocket project
. Abandoned in 1960
. Replaced by dependence on the American Polaris submarine weapons system
. Britain wouldn’t have an independent nuclear deterrent, and some in Labour became skeptical of pro-nuclear policy
The Korean War
. 1950: north Korea forces, backed by the Soviet Union and China, invaded the south
. Over 20 countries supplied the UN with troops
. Brit sent over 90,000, second most after the US
. Ceasefire agreed in ‘53: over 1000 British dead
. Korea split: communist north and normal south
What did the Korean War show?
. The Cold War was being fought across the whole world
. Britain were still willing to play a major role in world affairs, despite economic constraints
. However it was clear that America were the greater power
The Suez Canal
. 80% of West Europe’s oil imports passed through it
. Egyptian’s independence worried Britain
. US and UK had planned to invest in the Aswan Dam, but pulled out in 1956
. Colonel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal Company to finance the Aswan Dam
. This seemed to place Egypt on the Soviet side of the Cold War
The Suez Plan
. Eden saw Nasser as “an evil dictator”, most of his cabinet, including Macmillan, agreed
. Top secret meeting held at Sevres, Paris
. Israeli forces would invade Egypt, France + UK would intervene to ‘enforce peace’, really it’d be to seize control of the Suez canal
. The plan was concealed from British Parliament + USA
Execution of Suez Plan
. 29th Oct: Israeli attack launched, Anglo-French follow
. Wasn’t as smooth as planned, political protest in UK
. Labour party opposed, anti-war protests held
. US opposed: Britain wasn’t strong against them
. 1956: Britain was plunged into a financial crisis
. Macmillan, who supported the invasion, realised they had to pull out, accepting failure + humiliation
Aftermath of Suez
. Eden’s rep fatally damaged
. Brought into question Britain’s rep as a force for good
. Showed Britain couldn’t act without US support
. Brought into sharp relief the impact that Britain’s economic and financial policy had on the direction of foreign policy
. Undermined Britain’s status as a world power
Suez quotes
. Eden as an “arab horse” - high strung, jumpy
. “Suez became a four letter shorthand for the moment when Britain realised her new place in the world” Marr
. “the greatest single failure of premiership in the post war period” Hennessey
. “the adverse consequences were vast and far reaching” Self
