Britain & The Cold War (1951-1964)

Question 1

The Cold War Division of Europe
(Churchill’s Iron Curtain Speech)

Answer 1

• Europe was divided
• Eastern countries were under Soviet/communist rule
• Western countries followed the US/democratic
• Germany was split with the East side being controlled by Stalin and the West side being aided by Britain and the US
• 1948: Berlin Blockade/Airlift
• Berlin Wall built in 1961 to separate both sides
• 1946: Churchill’s Iron Curtain speech
• Term used to describe the post-war division of Europe

Question 2

The Rival Military Alliances
(NATO vs Warsaw Pact)

Answer 2

• NATO alliances consisted of the Western countries, e.g. Britain, US, West Germany, France, etc
• Warsaw Pact: alliance between communist countries, e.g. Soviet Union, Poland, East Germany, Hungary

Question 3

The UK & The Cuban Missile Crisis

Answer 3

• 1962: world came close to nuclear war
• Crisis lasted 13 days
• Britain was not directly involved with the negotiations, although a nuclear war would have involved Britain due to its NATO membership

Question 4

Churchill & the Cold War

Answer 4

• Churchill was responsible for the relations with the superpowers: US and the USSR
• Britain remained part or the wartime “Big Three” despite being the weakest
• Gap between Britain and the 2 superpowers
  was vast in terms of military power, wealth and global influence
• Churchill greatly overestimated the willingness the US had to recreate the “special relationship” that they had in WW2
• American’s found the old man’s romantic nostalgia irritating
• 1953: observers noticed Eisenhower’s impatience during talks in Bermuda

Question 5

Eden & the Cold War

Answer 5

• His foreign policy views were based on beliefs that Britain was still a great power in the world
• Belief was encouraged by feelings of national pride: Queen’s coronation, conquest of Everest by British-led expedition
• All these encouraged talk of a new ‘Elizabethan Age’
• Led Eden’s unrealistic view of Britain’s world position and its capacity to pursue interests independently of the US
• Legacy of Suez gave a realisation of the difficulties Britain’s foreign policy would face without American support and approval

Question 6

Macmillan & the Cold War

Answer 6

• Viewed his primary foreign policy as rebuilding the ‘special relationship’ with the US following Suez
• Reconciliations were made due to wartime friendship between Macmillan and Eisenhower
• Equally maintained close friendship with Kennedy
• Persuaded Kennedy to supply Polaris nuclear missiles to maintain Britain’s ‘independent’ nuclear deterrence
• Britain took part in the 1963 Test Ban Treaty

Question 7

Douglas-Home & the Cold War

Answer 7

• The personal factor, important during Macmillan’s years, had evaporated after the assassination of Kennedy
• President Johnson had no fraternity with Britain
• Johnson was told that although Britain felt there was an extreme importance of the ‘special relationship’ in foreign policy between the US and the UK, America viewed it as valuable but not pre-eminent
• It was more important to Britain than America