US and UK Relationship post-WW2 Flashcards
Who said “it should be possible to develop our own power and influence to equal that of the USA… We have the material resources in the colonial empire”? What does this shown?
Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin in 1948
Shows how Britain didn’t see itself as a second rate power to the USA
By 1945, how much did Britain owe to overseas creditors?
£3bn
What loan did Britain receive from the US in Autumn 1945, after the US cut lend-lease debt? What was the quid pro quo?
$3.75bn @2% interest rate on the condition that Britain ratified Bretton Woods
What did Bretton Woods mean for Britain’s status as a world banker compared to the US?
- Meant Britain lost much influence to the US
- The US Dollar became the basis of international exchange and the ideal reserve currency (since it was the only one backed by gold)
- From 1947, Britain was forced to make the pound sterling freely convertible to dollars. This exchange was hugely demanded and overloaded Britain.
How much Marshall Aid did Britain receive from the US in 1947? What does this suggest about their relationship?
$2.7bn
Britain was reliant on American financing to get back on its own two feet. Hence, America gained in soft power over Britain.
How much was the pound devalued by in 1949 due to a high balance of payment deficits?
30%
Why did Britain want to withdraw troops from Greece in February 1947? What was the US response?
Since they could not afford to stay there, fighting off the communists. Truman then paid for some British troops to stay in Greece and provided some of his own troops to stop the spread of communism.
When did Britain begin developing its own nuclear weapons independently? When did they test their first successful atomic bomb?
1947
1952
What did Macmillan’s 1957 White Paper “Defence: Outline of Future Policy” mean for the nuclear relationship with the USA?
It concluded that Britain was unable to act as a major player in the nuclear arms race so aligned with the US. Consequently, Britain agreed to storing US missiles in Britain (1957) and adopting the US Polaris Missile System (1963). UK was dependent on US finance and technology!
What provoked the Suez Crisis?
1954 - Britain agreed to remove troops from Egypt unless another power invaded
1955 - Nasser bought weapons from the USSR
1956 - Britain removed funding for Aswan Dam project. Egypt nationalised Suez Canal
How did the USA show dominance over Britain in the Suez Crisis? What are the limitations of this?
- The USA protested against Britain’s use of military force and hence they withdrew
- However, it was pressure from the UN and USSR which also contributed to this
- Likewise, Britain had entered into Egypt under a very weak pretense
What was Britain’s role in the creation of NATO? Why did they want the US to involve the Brussels Defence Treaty (precursor)?
Britain played a driving role in the creation of NATO under Bevin. Bevin knew that the Brussels Defence Treaty would lure the USA into defending Western Europe which was wanted since the USA were a major military power.
How did the US and UK show collaboration over the issue of West Germany?
- They worked together to form Trizonia and establish a new German currency (1948)
- They worked together to set up the Berlin Airlift during the blockade of the city
How did the USA exert an influence over British interests in Iran? What were the limitations of this influence on imperial interests?
- The USA prevented direct military action there after the nationalisation of oil in 1951 (threatened Anglo-Iranian Oil Company)
- However, Britain still imposed economic sanctions on Iran and blockaded the port of Abadan
- Likewise, the USA and CIA backed a coup in 1953 which ultimately led to America and Britain regaining large shares in the production of Iranian oil in 1954.
How did Britain and the USA’s foreign policy deviate with the Chinese Communist State?
Britain recognised the state in 1950 whilst the USA didn’t. This is because Britain wanted to try and protect Hong Kong from Chinsese agression.
