Foreign Affairs 1951-64 Flashcards
When was Britain’s first nuclear test?
1954
When was the Suez crisis?
Oct/Nov 1956
When was the Treaty of Rome (which founded the EEC) signed?
1957
Why DIDN’T Britain want to join the EEC initially?
- Considered themselves a world power and so didn’t need to band together with other nations.
- Right-wing cared more about staying close to the Commonwealth.
- Left-wing disliked the free-market capitalist principles behind the EEC.
- Britain wanted to retain its ‘special relationship’ with the USA.
Why DID Britain want to join the EEC in the 1960s?
- Productivity was much higher in France and West Germany.
- Britain’s share of world markets had fallen from 25% in 1950 to 15% in 1962.
- Thought it would stimulate economic growth and increase efficiency
What was the impact of the Korean War on Britain?
- Britain were one of the US’ biggest backers, with 90,000 troops sent.
- Conscription was changed; period of active service was increased from 18 mths to 2 yrs.
When was Britain’s first H-bomb developed?
1957
How many people took part in a CND protest march outside a Berkshire weapons research base?
8,000. Even more took part in later marches.
What was Blue Streak? When and why was it abandoned?
Britain’s independent nuclear weapons programme. Abandoned in 1960 because it was too expensive; replaced by US nukes.
Describe the events of the Suez crisis.
- Egypt’s military dictator Nasser had nationalised the Suez Canal
- This concerned the UK as 80% of Western imports came through the canal. However, the only nation Nasser had banned from using it was Israel.
- Britain, France & Israel secretly planned that Israel would invade Egypt and Britain and France would ‘intervene’ and secure the canal.
- The USSR threatened to bomb Western Europe, the US threatened to make Britain pay for oil in dollars (which was more expensive due to weak £) and Britain and France were internationally condemned.
- The episode illustrated Britain’s reliance on the US and that the UK was no longer a great power.
What were the key events in decolonisation from 1951-64?
- 1952: Mau Mau rebellion begins in Kenya
- 1957: Ghana granted independence
- 1960: Macmillan makes his “wind of change” speech in Cape Town
- 1961: Nigeria and Cyprus get independence
- 1963: Kenya granted independence
Which British prime Minister championed the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 1963?
Harold Macmillan.
What was the impact of British government officially recognising Chinese government?
USA government was not happy about it and it did not allow Britain to join ANZUS Pact between Australia, New Zealand and USA.
Which American and Soviet summit was interrupted by the crash of American spy plane U2 over Soviet Union?
Camp David, 1959
Give two reasons why British Government decided to take aggressive action after nationalisation of Suez Canal.
- Labour had been heavily criticised for not taking action after nationalisation Anglo-Iranian Oil Company
- Personal conviction of Eden and his worries about Nasser (compared to Mussolini by some!)
What were the consequences of the Suez Crisis for Britain?
- Britain showed it cannot conduct its own foreign policy
- British withdrawal likely caused French veto of UK application to EEC
- Britain lost an ally in Iraqi king Faisal who was murdered in 1958
- Eden resigned and was replaced by Macmillan in 1957
- Britain lost large amount of dollar reserves which caused economic crisis and weakened pound
- Relationship with USA suffered.
Name the reasons which forced British withdrawal from Suez Canal.
- Britain was forced to buy oil from USA in dollars and USA purposely lifted prices
- United Nations applied a lot of pressure on Britain
- USSR threatened to bomb Western Europe
- USA openly criticised Britain.
How much percent of the globe was occupied by the British Empire at its largest?
20%
Which of the British colonies gained independence between 1945 to 1964?
- India (1947)
- Ceylon and Burma (1948)
- Malaysia and Gold Coast (1957)
- Ghana, Nigeria and Cyprus (1960)
- Tanganyika, Tanzania and Sierra Leone (1961)
- Uganda, Jamaica and Trinidad (1962)
- Kenya (1963)
- Malawi, Northern Rhodesia, Malta (1964)
What was the original plan of the post-war government in regard to its colonies?
British government wanted to use the colonies as way of rebuilding its economic strength by:
- selling colonial products in dollars to rebuild dollar reserves (Malayan rubber, Gold Coast cocoa)
- selling British products in colonies; Colonial Development Corporation was supposed to start a number of profitable schemes (most like Groundnut Oil Scheme did not work at all).
Commonwealth was supposed to provide counterbalance to emerging superpowers the USA and USSR.
Why is the period between 1945 to 1951 often described as a second colonial wave?
Increased economic activity in colonies brought larger numbers of British civil servants and military presence in colonies, in some of the colonies it even doubled.
What was the impact of the second colonial wave on British Empire?
Most economic schemes were ineffective and they caused a lot of backlash from native population because often they disregarded traditional organisational or farming methods. Many colonies felt overrun by the British.
Name reasons why maintaining the colonial empire became increasingly difficult after 1951.
- Increasing pressure form United Nations, USA and USSR
- Growing independent movement and French experience of armed conflict in Algeria
- Wish for peaceful dissolution to maintain economic and political links
- Britain was one of the last remaining colonial powers
- Some historians stress the importance of public opinion but there is no significant evidence of this according to Sandbrook.
Name four main tory personalities who had significant impact on decolonisation after 1951.
- Ian Macleod
- Enoch Powell
- Reginald Maudling
- Harold Macmillan.
What was Macmillan’s attitude towards decolonisation?
He fully supported it.
Name three main colonial conflicts Britain was involved in between 1951 to 1964.
- Malaya
- Cyprus
- Kenya
Name reasons why Britain applied for the EEC membership in 1961.
The British government hoped that entering EEC will give Britain access to new fast-growing market.
- This will give boost to export industry and grow production
- Competition will encourage efficiency and quality of products
- Associate Britain with buoyant EEC economy.
Why was Britain’s application turned down in 1963?
- De Gaulle was concerned with British relationship with United States - he was disappointed for example that Britain was offered Polaris missiles and France was not
- He also felt that Britain was not able to compromise on status of some of its colonies and Commonwealth, although other member countries did not share his concerns.
- Still unhappy about Britain pulling out of Suez in 1956
By how much did the UK’s dollar reserves fall after Suez?
$561m
How much of the West’s fuel came through the Suez Canal?
80%
How did the Suez crisis help to speed up decolonisation?
- Ghana, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Kenya (and others) granted independence in the years following Suez
- Post-Suez Conservative Party was much more open to decolonisation
- Any notion of Britain as a great power was now gone and it was clear that maintaining this large empire was no longer feasible.
