5:20 Foreign affairs

Question 1

Who were the Maastricht Rebels?

Answer 1

Conservative MPs who refused to support Major in a series of vote on the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty

Question 2

What was the Maastricht Treaty?

Answer 2

> It created the EU
Introduction of a single currency
Common foreign and security policies

Question 3

At the time, the Conservatives had a small majority anyway:

Answer 3

this gave the Maastricht Rebels disproportionate influence
> In 1992, there were 22 rebels and a majority of only 18
> As a result, the bill’s committee stage had to be postponed

Question 4

The treaty was only ratified after…

Answer 4

two defeats in parliament

Question 5

Parliament wanted Major to go to Maastricht and…

Answer 5

ask for exceptions:
> opt out of single currency (pound was stronger)
> opt out of the Social Chapter

Question 6

What was the impact of Britain being forced out of the ERM?

Answer 6

This undermined the government’s European policy and hardened sceptic opinion even further

Question 7

The Maastricht rebels were described as…

Answer 7

‘the most persistent Conservative intraparty dissent in post-war history’

Question 8

Over two-thirds of the Maastricht Rebels…

Answer 8

had supported Major in 1990
> the passage of this Bill alienated many of them from his leadership
> from this point on, Major had little ideological support from any sector of his party

Question 9

Overall, this was an international humiliation for Major:

Answer 9

he had faced pressure from European countries, who accused him of not having control over his own party

Question 10

On the other hand, it should be acknowledged that…

Answer 10

Major set up a great deal, where Britain could be part of the EU but opt out of the single currency and the Social Chapter

Question 11

What was the West’s ‘Age of Retreat’?

Answer 11

> The argument that the West retreated into itself after the Cold War ended
Across major powers, they shifted focus from the global stage to internal domestic policy
The powers gave up the fight, since liberalism and democracy had won

Question 12

Where is the evidence for this?

Answer 12

There was an almost total lack of action of Western powers (besides France) on the world stage

Question 13

When was the Bosnian War?

Answer 13

1992-1995

Question 14

What major conflict was happening during the Bosnian War?

Answer 14

> Firstly, the Croatian War: Serbs against Croats, but Britain doesn’t get involved
When Bosnia leaves Yugoslavia in 1992, Serbia attacks, and begins genocide; ethnic cleansing of Muslim Bosnians

Question 15

What major event happened in 1995?

Answer 15

The Srebrenica Massacre
> the genocide of Bosnian Muslims

Question 16

How did Britain respond?

Answer 16

> Britain heavily bombed Serbia
Told the leaders of Serbia, Bosnia and Croatia to make a compromise at a peace conference in the US

Question 17

How did the leaders respond to this?

Answer 17

The Serbian leader Milosovic refused to attend the peace conference in Ohio
> However, an eventual peace treaty was signed in Paris in December 1995, which guaranteed Bosnian independence, protected by a UN force

Question 18

Was Britain’s response adequate?

Answer 18

Britain’s bombing of Serbia didn’t stop the genocide
> it is fair to argue that they didn’t do enough

Question 19

When was the Rwandan genocide?

Answer 19

1994

Question 20

How did Britain intervene during the Rwandan Genocide?

Answer 20

> Three weeks in, Britain asks France to stop funding the genocide, and they agreed
Britain internationally condemned the genocide, but wasn’t willing to send troops to Rwanda
Around 1,000,000 total victims of the Rwandan Genocide

Question 21

It could be argued that Britain had a peacekeeping duty here:

Answer 21

Should have a duty to and assist former colonies: liberal imperialism

Question 22

On the other hand, why was it important for Britain to intervene in the Bosnian genocide?

Answer 22

It was serious, and more significant on the global stage since it was in Europe

Question 23

Why might Britain not have cared much about the Rwandan genocide?

Answer 23

> It didn’t have much attention in the media
There was no significant motive to intervene, besides morality

Question 24

When did the First Gulf War take place?

Answer 24

1991

Question 25

How did the West respond to Iraq invading Kuwait?

Answer 25

Launched Operation Desert Storm
> half a million men sent to invade Iraq
> Britain contributes stroops

Question 26

Why was Britain motivated to invade Iraq?

Answer 26

Oil interests

Question 27

What was the impact of Britain’s intervention on the global stage?

Answer 27

> it made Britain look very powerful on an international level
it proved that Britain still had military might after the Cold War