3.18 Foreign Policy in the 1970s Flashcards
How did Heath feel about the EEC?
Passionately pro-European
Who was the president of France while Heath was Prime Minister?
Pompidou
Who argued that Britain would be losing sovereignity if they joined the EEC?
Powell
What did Powell do while the EEC was being discussed in Parliament?
He voted against the passage of the European bill through Parliament every step of the way
When did Powell refuse to stand as a Conservative?
February 1974
What did Powell tell his supporters to do during the 1974 election?
Vote Labour
How did Labour feel about entry to the EEC?
Deeply divided
Who, in the Labour Party, was mostly hostile to EEC membership?
Labour Left
How did Wilson feel about the EEC?
Neither strongly for or against
How did Wilson keep the party together over EEC membership?
He promised a renegotiation and a national referendum
When did Britain join the EEC?
January 1973
Why were some people worried about Britain’s late entry to the EEC?
They would suffer by not being part of the formative years
How did Wilson exploit EEC entry?
Opinion polls showed a lack of support
What helped Britain’s application to the EEC?
Final secret negotiations between Heath and Pompidou
Who did Wilson include in his cabinet?
Both right and left-wingers
What did Shirley Williams say she would do if a referendum went against entry to the EEC?
She would leave the party
What did Wilson do, in relation to the EEC, in 1975?
Hold a referendum
What did Wilson allow his MPs in relation to the EEC?
He allowed them to campaign according to their views rather than a party line
Which side did Wilson and Callaghan campaign for?
Neither - they argued that they were neutral
What did a 1975 survey show about company chairmen and their desires for the EEC membership?
Of 419 company chairman, only 4 wanted to leave the EEC
What did Castle and Foot say that their objections to the EEC were?
It was bad for British workers
What did Benn, Powell, and Paisley say their objections to the EEC were?
Britain would lose independence
How many people voted ‘yes’ to staying in the EEC in July 1975?
17 million (68.3%)
How many people voted ‘no’ to staying in the EEC in July 1975?
8 million (32.5%)
How much did the government give both sides of the referendum to campaign?
£125,000
Why did Jenkins leave parliament in 1976?
To become a European Commissioner in 1977
Who did Heath want to focus foreign policy on?
Europe
What alliance was Heath less inclined to strengthen?
Atlantic Alliance
What attempts by Henry Kissinger did Heath reject?
Attempts to use Britain as a link with Europe
He said they should negotiate with Europe themselves
What was Heath and Nixon’s relationship like?
They got on
Why did Anglo-American relations worsen in Yom Kippur?
The US wanted to use NATO bases in Europe for an airlift of supplies to Israel
Most European states refused permission for this
What did Nixon fail to inform Heath of?
That US forces had been put on DEFCON 3 (nuclear alert)
How did Heath learn about US forces being on DEFCON 3?
Press reports
What did Heath say about learning about US forces being on DEFCON 3?
‘I have found considerable alarm as to what use the Americans would have been able to make of their forces here without in any way consulting us or considering the British interests’
How did Wilson and Callaghan feel about the Atlantic Alliance?
They were still keen on it
Who forged a strong relationship with Kissinger?
Callaghan
What were the Polaris missiles replaced with in 1979?
Trident
Who was keen on the Atlantic Alliance?
Wilson and Callaghan
What shared foreign policy did Britain and the USA have?
Holding back communism
How did relations with the USSR and China develop during the 1970s?
They improved
During the 1970s, there was a detente with the USSR. What does detente mean?
The easing of hostility or strained relations, especially between countries.
What were the continuing underlying fears of the USSR?
Their influence in Eastern Europe
Who was Georgi Markov?
He defected to the west in 1969
Why was Markov a target?
He was outspoken in his criticism of the Bulgarian communist regime
When was Markov assassinated?
1978 in London
How was Markov supposedly killed?
Poisonous pellet fired from an umbrella
Who was suspected to be behind the Markov assassination?
The KGB
Where had China shown support for other communists?
Korea and Vietnam
When did Nixon announce a thawing of relations between the USA and China?
1976
When was Nixon’s visit to China to meet Mao Zedong?
February 1972
When did Mao Zedong lead China?
1949 - 1976
When did Leonid Brezhnev lead the USSR?
1964 - 1982
When did Britain and China exchange ambassadors?
March 1972
What title was awarded to Heath by China?
People’s Friendship Envoy
Who visited Britain in October 1979?
Hua Guofeng
Who was Hua Guofeng?
Leader of China between 1976 and 1981
