Affluent Society, Foreign Policy

Special Relationship and Cold War

Britain remained firmly aligned with the US during the Cold War
Supported NATO and the Truman Doctrine (containing communism)
British troops fought alongside the US in Korea

Maintained US nuclear bases in the UK, strengthening ties but also increasing US influence on British foreign policy

Highlighted Britain’s dependency on the US and gradual decline as an independent world power

Special Relationship - Times of Strain

US didn’t share nuclear secrets with Britain after WW2, but did again after 1958

Burgess and Maclean Affair - 2 high-profile MI6 officials defected to the USSR with secrets in 1951

Suez Crisis 1956

Britain’s European Position

Europe and the EEC

Britain was initially reluctant to join the EEC when founded in 1957
Preferred the Commonwealth as it saw itself as a Global not just a European power

Formed the EFTA in 1960 - a rival trade bloc with smaller European Economies

Europe and the EEC - Application 1961

Macmillan’s government in 1961 realised the issue with economic isolation and applied to join the EEC
Vetoed by De Gaulle in 1963 - doubted Britain’s commitment and feared US influence via Britain
Revealed Britain’s economic decline and political weakness

Decolonisation

Shifted the Empire to a Commonwealth under conservative governments.

Realisation that maintaining the Empire was economically and militarily unsuitable for the UK

Decolonisation - Impact

Managed with less violence than in other European Empires, but still conflict (Mau Mau Rebellion, Kenya)

Reflected Britain’s changing role as a post imperial power and focused more on trade than territory

Decolonisation - Examples of Independence

Sudan - 1956

Ghana - 1957

Nigeria - 1960

Kenya - 1963

Nuclear Policy and Military Power

Britain developed its own nuclear weapons

Maintained nuclear status to appear strong and modern on the global stage

Joined the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (1963) with the US and USSR

Nuclear Policy and Military Power - Impact

Reflected Britain’s desire to remain in the top tier of global powers

Nuclear weapons were expensive - arguably weakened Britain’s conventional forces

Suez Crisis 1956

Eygpt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal, threatening British and French control

Britain, France, and Israel launched a ‘secret’, coordinated military invasion to regain control

US strongly opposed the invasion over risks of it pushing Nasser closer to the USSR

Britain was forced to withdraw under American economic pressure

Suez Canal 1956 - Impacts

Huge blow to British prestige: showed Britain could no longer act independently of the US

Marked the end of Britain’s role as a World Superpower, now dominated by USA and USSR

Strengthened Nasser’s position and began the dissolution of the British Empire into the New Commonwealth