WILSON 1964-70 CHAPTER 8 Flashcards
foreign policy
1964
2 things
Escalation of the Vietnam War
Independence granted to Zambia and Malawi
1965
Unilateral Declaration of Independence proclaimed for southern Rhodesia
1967
EEC application vetoed by de Gaulle.
British pull back from the east of Suez
1966
2 things
Second EEC application agreed by Wilson’s government.
Wilson and Smith talk on HMS Tiger
1968
Hungarian rising crushed by Soviet forces.
Wilson and Smith talk on HMS Fearless.
- By 1964, the wind of change had brough independence to
how many countries?
18 New Commonwealth states Wilson hoped to continue this by reducing Britain’s military responsibilities especially in the east of Suez.
RELATIONS WITH, POLICIES TOWARDS USA, PARTICULARLY THE ISSUE OF VIETNAM
Wilson was pro-American and was a keen supporter of the Atlantic Alliance (AA).
2 reasons
- The cold war was still ongoing, and Britain wanted to ensure that the US stayed committed to the defence of Europe.
- The continuing possibility of soviet threat was highlighted by the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia that stopped the communist system being diluted there (Dubcek, the new leader had introduced reforms which increased the freedom of speech, movement, and the decentralisation of the economy.)
RELATIONS WITH, POLICIES TOWARDS USA, PARTICULARLY THE ISSUE OF VIETNAM
However, the relationship between Britain and US came under strain over the Vietnam War:
what was this
Had begun in 1955 – Vietnam had divided into 2 states – a communist north made up of Viet Cong rebels (communist guerrilla soldiers) and non-communist south, supported by the US government, which escalated after 1964. The war ended in 1975 when the US withdrew, and Viet Cong took over the whole country. The war was extremely controversial and became increasingly unipolar when casualties and evidence of atrocities mounted.
RELATIONS WITH, POLICIES TOWARDS USA, PARTICULARLY THE ISSUE OF VIETNAM
From the time the escalation of the Vietnam war began in 1964, the US president Johnson wanted to gain support and approval from allies:
australia vs britain
- Australia sent troops to Vietnam and Johnson wanted Britain to do the same.
- Wilson resisted any direct military involvement despite his good relationship with Johnson - this was difficult as he wanted to maintain the AA, but the war became hugely unpopular in Britain – especially with the left (he risked losing political support if he was too supportive) and there were economic considerations.
RELATIONS WITH, POLICIES TOWARDS USA, PARTICULARLY THE ISSUE OF VIETNAM
- Britain could not afford military involvement, but Wilson also needed the support of the US to avoid devaluation. He ended up giving
moral support without military support, annoying the US who wanted greater backing and annoying some Labour MPs and supporters who wanted Wilson to condemn the US.
RESPONSE TO WORLD AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
- 1964 – labour not committed to continuing the conservative policy of
seeking entry into the EEC.
RESPONSE TO WORLD AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
- 1962 – Gaitskell passionately fought against
Britain’s first application as he believed it was a federal political union.
RESPONSE TO WORLD AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
- Wilson was ambivalent preferred the
Atlantic alliance and stronger links with the commonwealth but could see the economic reasons for joining.
RESPONSE TO WORLD AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
- Many on the labour left such as Michael Foot and Barbara Castle as well as the trade unions were equally hostile saw the EEC as
a capitalist club that would prevent Britain from following capitalist policies
RESPONSE TO WORLD AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
- There were several Europhiles in the cabinet –
Roy Jenkins and George Brown (became foreign secretary in 1966).
RESPONSE TO WORLD AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
- 1966 Wilson became more convinced of the economic arguments and in October, his cabinet agreed on a
new EEC membership application.
RESPONSE TO WORLD AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
the bid seemed half hearted because of doubts within labour and de Gaulle was still president of France and hadn’t changed
his mind about British entry.
RESPONSE TO WORLD AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
- January 1967 Wilson and Brown went to Paris to meet de Gaulle and
toured the other countries to gain support.
RESPONSE TO WORLD AFFAIRS AND RELATIONS WITH EUROPE
- June 1967 Wilson went back to Paris and de Gaulle demanded assurances that Britain would
detach itself from the special relationship – there was no way Wilson would to this.
- November 1967 de Gaulle used his
veto against British entry.
WITHDRAWAL FROM ‘EAST OF SUEZ’
- Labour knew there would have to be a commitment to the reduction in Britain’s military commitments for economic reasons.
- The minister of defence, Dennis Healey started a process of
spending cuts designed to bring the defence budget below £2 million by 1970.
WITHDRAWAL FROM ‘EAST OF SUEZ’
- 1967 Healey’s defence white paper set a timetable for troop withdrawal from the
middle east, Malaysia, and Singapore
WITHDRAWAL FROM ‘EAST OF SUEZ’
- Some believed the cuts did not go far or fast enough, but Wilson believed Britain still had a world role there was no serious debate about
giving up the nuclear deterrent despite its expense.
WITHDRAWAL FROM ‘EAST OF SUEZ’
- Wilson announced that it would continue to deploy
think nuclear
US Polaris missiles – in 1967 a commitment was made to upgrade the system.
WITHDRAWAL FROM ‘EAST OF SUEZ
January 1968 – all changed with the drastic spending cuts introduced by Jenkins following the 1967 devaluation crisis:
3
- Withdrawal from east of Suez rapidly accelerated.
- Troops were to be pulled out of the Arabian Gulf, Malaysia, and Singapore by the end of 1971.
- The development of a new high-tech warplane, TSR2 was abandoned as it was too costly.
RHODESIA
1961 – South Africa rejected the idea of majority rule, left the commonwealth and oved towards an apartheid system
what was tis?
strict segregation between whites and non-whites. This led to political, social, and economical discrimination against non-whites.
RHODESIA
Macmillan had chosen Cape Town as the place to make his winds of change speech because his target was the white minority regimes who wanted independence the minority regimes were not
persuaded, and this speech was seen as a challenge and a threat.
RHODESIA
- 1963 the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland broke up into 3 separate entities.
which where??
- Northern Rhodesia became independent Zambia.
- Nyasaland became independent Malawi.
- Southern Rhodesia
RHODESIA
- Southern Rhodesia hoped for independence, but Britain rejected this until a majority rule replaced political domination by the white population a political row broke out when
Ian Smith became prime minister – he issued a unilateral declaration of independence for Rhodesia without accepting a majority rule.
RHODESIA
This was a direct challenge to the Labour government – Wilson hoped he could reach a solution through oil sanctions or a negotiated solution.
what did he do?
He met Smith for face-to-face talks on boad HMS Tiger off Gibraltar in December 1966 which seemed to make progress, but Smith disavowed everything he had said as soon as he got back home.
RHODESIA
Wilson’s frustrations continued throughout 1967:
2 reasons why his sanctions didnt work?
- Oil sanctions did not have much effect Rhodesia got supplies through the Portuguese colony Mozambique and the big oil companies ignored the sanctions policy.
- South Africa continued to trade with Rhodesia.
RHODESIA
- October 1968 – more talks on HMS Fearless, but Smith felt stronger and believed he could rely on
support from the right wing of the conservative party and wait for Britain to give in.
RHODESIA
- Wilson’s diplomacy got nowhere.
- The situation upset the
commonwealth and many on the labour left wing, and made Britain look weak at the same time.
