Britain's position in the world 1945-1997

Question 1

What is the reaction to suez

Answer 1

Combined plot with France and Israel invade Egypt ans secure the Suez Canal.
USA was furious and put financial and diplomatic pressure on Britain to retreat.
The suez finishes Eden and brings Macmillain into power.

Question 2

What colonial issues are in France and Belgium

Answer 2

Defeated and uprising in their colonies causing strain on supplies and a potential withdrawal.

Question 3

What was macmillains ‘audit of empire’ what responses are received

Answer 3

Asks his civil servants to give him profit and less account of the British Empire.
Colonial office- shocked retreat is bad.
Treasury- costs and benefits- retreat is good.

Question 4

What process does MacMillan favour and what gives the green light for decolonisation

Answer 4

Retreating the empire
Malayan- fighting anti- communist guérilla campaign
1957- Gold Coast (Ghana) organised a national movement against colonialism which was successful

Question 5

What did the period of 1960-73 mark?

Answer 5

Rapid change from an imperial past future to an European past future- independence from the colonies.

Question 6

What did people view Macmillains ‘winds of change’ speech as

Answer 6

Britain is going to move towards a black majority rule in its colonies and speed up decolonisation

Question 7

What are they key messages of the speech

Answer 7

1. Need to keep Africa in the western bloc of the Cold War
2. Warning that racial segregation with jeopardise the western bloc allegiance.

Question 8

What does this symbolise for Britain

Answer 8

Rapid decolonisation
Iain Macleod- colonial office he was mostly responsible because of his inexperience with the colonies

Question 9

1970

Answer 9

Decolonisation nearly complete

Question 10

What was the CED

Answer 10

Central African federation
Strengthen states/ provide allies
1953- Rhodesia and Nysaland

Question 11

Britains international outlook

Answer 11

1. Redefinition of British identity
2. A turn to europe

Question 12

How did the idea of imperial subjecthood change

Answer 12

The old commonwealth immigrants act was abolished
Had to be born or have British parents to claim British citizenship

Question 13

What happened by 1973

Answer 13

Enters the EEC. Regarded themselves as British
British rejects Australian/ New Zealand
Britain claims that the European sphere cannot provide economic sessions

Question 14

Britains new future

Answer 14

Less imperial and more European
USA steps into the power vacuum

Question 15

What was happening in South Africa?

Answer 15

Alliance between English/ Afrikaans collapses
1948- right wing nationalist party rises to power which increases racial segregation
Shootings in sharporite- state of emergency lasted for a month

Question 16

What was happening with the federations?

Answer 16

Collapsed
Indies- dissolved
CAF- dissolved in 1963
Singapore leaves Malayan alliance in 1961

Question 17

What happened in southern Rhodesia

Answer 17

Pushed with Northern Rhodesia
Breaks down- SR sphere of influence of South Africa which the British resisted
1965- unilateral Declaration of Independence.

Question 18

What happened in 1968

Answer 18

Withdraw troops from the far east
Retreat from empire

Question 19

What does decolonisation possibly predict for the future

Answer 19

Will be reinvented
Timescales for political change can change rapidly
Policy plans don’t always have a rational set responding to changes

Question 20

How did Britain handle Korea in 1950

Answer 20

Britain would defend indépendant states, strategic , South Korea was protected
Influence decisions and a loyalty to the USA.
Remained with the USA
American contribution dwarfed British and commonwealth forces
Increased defence expenditures

Question 21

How did Britain handle suez?

Answer 21

1952- Pro British regime overthrown
Joint invasion
Nasser sunk ships in the canal preventing its use
Condemned by the USA and ussr
Imperialist invasion
Difficult to collaborate with the us who wanted peace humiliation

Question 22

How did Britain handle the falklands 1982

Answer 22

Thatcher reacted swiftly to the invasion
Demanded by UN Argentinian withdrawal
Justified England’s actions
Reagan didn’t see the utility of the war
The issue remained
Cost £1.5m per island to defend and places needed to be rebuilt.

Question 23

How did Britain handle Kuwait 1990

Answer 23

Un support and quick war
British armed forces were effective
England still had diplomatic influence by Englisting support.
Conflict between Thatcher and Bush.
British/ Us imperialism
Continued into 2003

Question 24

Anglo- American Korean war

Answer 24

England joined un forces
United under a coalition of other states
Attlee met Truman
Demonstrated loyalty to the us
Us overpowered British

Question 25

Suez crisis ANAM

Answer 25

Both agreed to lend Egypt money to build a dam and modernise the economy
USA wanted to solve the crisis peacefully
Uk plotted with France and Israel to invade, Eisenhower was furious

Question 26

1960s Berlin anam

Answer 26

Kennedy regardée Macmillain has a political father and consulted him
Britain didn’t play a major role

Question 27

Cuba

Answer 27

Ken consulted Mac
Little influence

Question 28

Vietnam

Answer 28

Wilson tried to broker peace but failed, shows little influence over us policy
Wilson angered Johnson.

Question 29

1970s

Answer 29

Warmer relations restored under carter and Callaghan
Under health relations were cool England prioritised europe

Question 30

1980s

Answer 30

Ragean and thatchers similarities agreed on the same issues and sometimes opposed the UN.
Thatcher disliked SDI Thatcher dismayed by Raegans willingness to bargain away the wests nuclear deterrent.
Us invasion of Grenada

Question 31

1990

Answer 31

Operated strongly during the first gulf war.
European nato powers cooperated with the USA
Allies by 1997
Thatcher sacrificed British interests to support the USA.