Britain: Foreign Affairs

Question 1

Europhiles

Answer 1

. Ken Clarke Chancellor from 1993-97

. Chris Patten Conservative chairman 1990-92

Question 2

Eurosceptics

Answer 2

. Increasingly vocal + important
. Michael Portillo
. Iain Duncan Smith
. John Redwood
. Encouraged by Thatcher's increasingly anti-European interventions

Question 3

The Maastricht Treaty

Answer 3

. Designed to set up new structures to deal with expansion of EEC
. Under the terms, the EEC became the EU + conditions were set up for single currency in 1999
. Agreed in Dec 1991 + signed Feb 1992

Question 4

Major and Europe

Answer 4

. His style enabled him to establish good personal links w other heads of govs, eg German Helmut Kohl
. His diplomatic skills enabled him to secure opt outs for UK from plans of single currency + Social Chapter
. Selling the deal to sceptics at home was harder

Question 5

Maastricht Treaty and Parliament

Answer 5

. Parliament ratified it after 18 months
. Cons Eurosceptics continued to oppose Major
. Major’s “back me or sack me” didn’t strengthen him
. Mobilised anti-Europeans outside parliament
. Anti-Federalist League 1993 and Referendum Party set up to fight 1997 election on single issue of demanding referendum of UK’s relationship w Europe

Question 6

Maastricht rebels

Answer 6

. July 1993: rebel MPs blocked Major’s attempt to get gov to ratify the Treaty
. Major won by threatening vote of no confidence vote which, if he’d lost, would’ve led to an election
. Damaged his authority, made him seem weak
. Heard off the record talking about three “bastards” - likely Redwood, Portillo and Peter Lilley

Question 7

Yugoslavia

Answer 7

. 1991: prosperous northern republic of Slovenia declared independence + Yugoslav state began to break up
. Violence between 2 largest republics: Serbia + Croatia

Question 8

Response to Yugoslavia

Answer 8

. EU + UN: urgent diplomatic efforts to maintain peace
. British Foreign Sec Douglas Hurd believed international mediation would work however European diplomats failed
- unclear whether aim was maintaining multi-ethnic Yugoslavia or allowing it to break up altogether

Question 9

Bosnia

Answer 9

. War began in April 1992
. Muslims in east driven out by ethnic cleansing backed by President Milosevic
. Aug: Major hosted joint EU + UN conference in London + a UN peacekeeping force was put in place
. War carried on for 3 years, with Sarajevo under constant siege
. British + European mediation seen as ineffectual

Question 10

Vance-Owen plan

Answer 10

. Oct 1992
. By UN rep Cyrus Vance + former British Foreign Sec David Owen set out framework for lasting settlement
. Major praised for his actions, US unwilling to intervene with Europe

Question 11

Srebrenica

Answer 11

. Bosnian Serb forces entered in 1995
. Small force of Dutch UN peacekeepers stationed but ordered not to intervene
. 7000+ Bosnian men + boys massacred, 1 of worst European atrocities since WWII
. Showed limits of EU diplomacy + UN peacekeeping

Question 12

Response to disputes in the Balkans

Answer 12

. Britain turned to US and NATO
. Clinton persuaded to intervene
. US air strikes on Serb forces led to peace conference in Dayton, Ohio
. Peace treaty signed in Paris, Dec 1995: guaranteed Bosnian independence, protected by UN force + with substantial economic support