4:16 Foreign affairs

Question 1

Which issue dominated British foreign policy in the early 1980s?

Answer 1

The Falkland Islands - a minor part of Britain’s retreat from Empire

Question 2

When did General Galtieri, leader of the Argentinian military junta, sent an invasion force to occupy the Falklands?

Answer 2

April 1982

Question 3

As a result, who resigned?

Answer 3

Lord Carrington, the Foreign Secretary, who had advised against pulling out HMS Endurance which prompted the invasion

Question 4

What situation did the British government face?

Answer 4

To attempt to win back the Falkland Islands would be very difficult and dangerous

Question 5

However, what was Thatcher’s response?

Answer 5

She immediately announced that a naval task force would be sent to remove the Argentine forces and assert the right of the Falkland Islanders to self-determination. This was very risky and could have ended in disaster.

Question 6

What impact did this decision have on the public opinion of Thatcher?

Answer 6

Her previously unpopular government was now soaring in the opinion polls.
It also inspired a patriotic national mood in the British people

Question 7

Despite the task force being sent, there were still diplomatic efforts between governments to get Argentina to pull its troops back. However, the chance of peaceful settlement disappeared on…

Answer 7

2nd May, when a British submarine sank the Argentine battleship, General Belgrano, causing heavy loss of life.

Question 8

What was the controversial response to this?

Answer 8

Many anti-war protestors claimed that the sinking was unnecessary and was purposely strategized to finish off the chances of a peaceful outcome.

Question 9

Why was it necessary to get support from the United States?

Answer 9

It would be impossible to fight battles 8000 miles from home without the use of American bases like Ascension Island

Question 10

Unlike Suez in 1956, the US…

Answer 10

gave the green light to go ahead, which strengthened the special relationship and the personal ties between Thatcher and Reagan

Question 11

What significant loss did the British task force suffer?

Answer 11

4th May: an air-launched Exocet missile destroyed the British warship HMS Sheffield

Question 12

From then on, American diplomatic intervention was crucial in…

Answer 12

preventing the Argentine forces from obtaining enough missiles to severely weaken the British task force

Question 13

How was British victory indicated?

Answer 13

21st May - British troops landed at San Carlos Water, the passage between the East and West Falkland. Once the landings were secured, victory was certain.
14th June - the Argentine forces surrender

Question 14

What did Thatcher’s critics say about the war?

Answer 14

It was unnecessary because Britain would end up negotiating a deal with Argentina over the Falklands anyway.

Question 15

What was the impact on Britain’s position in the world?

Answer 15

In the 1970s, Britain’s international position had seemed to be in decline. There was now a resurgence of national pride in Britain.

Question 16

Furthermore, the Falklands War made it even less likely that Britain would…

Answer 16

force the people of Gibraltar to accept being handed to Spain

Question 17

Thatcher had a strong bond with…

Answer 17

Ronald Reagan, both personal and ideological

Question 18

The Thatcher-Reagan link was especially powerful throughout the 1980s…

Answer 18

during the Falklands War, deploying Cruise missiles and being tough with the USSR.

Question 19

In 1986, Thatcher gave permission for the US to…

Answer 19

use British air bases to bomb Libya, despite it being an unpopular decision in Britain

Question 20

However, they still had some disagreements. In 1983…

Answer 20

the US invaded Grenada after a Communist coup, going against Thatcher’s advice

Question 21

What was the Cold War situation in the late 1970s?

Answer 21

The West seemed to be losing. However, they didn’t realise just how weak the USSR was becoming.

Question 22

When Soviet forces invaded Afghanistan in 1979…

Answer 22

it was thought in the West that this was a dangerous threat to Western interests.
In reality, it was a disastrous decision, bleeding away what was left of Soviet military strength.

Question 23

After the opening of Soviet archives from 1991…

Answer 23

it became obvious that the Soviet Union was on its last legs by the early 1980s

Question 24

Between 1979-1985…

Answer 24

nobody in the West knew how weak the Soviet Union was at the time

Question 25

Who were the three new ‘cold warriors’ who emerged in the early 1980s?

Answer 25

Thatcher, Pope John Paul II and Ronald Reagan
They were each determined to challenge Soviet power, both militarily and ideologically

Question 26

It was as if a new era of the Cold War was beginning:

Answer 26

marked by tough rhetoric and rising tension

Question 27

Thatcher’s willingness to support the US in the Cold War efforts was demonstrated in…

Answer 27

her agreement to the deployment of US cruise missiles in Britain

Question 28

With increased international tension, there developed…

Answer 28

genuine fear of nuclear war between the East and the West

Question 29

How did the government respond to these fears?

Answer 29

They published ‘Protect and Survive’ booklets which told people what to do in the event of a nuclear attack

Question 30

These fears were also reflected in popular culture…

Answer 30

The BBC drama ‘Threads’ in 1984 portrayed the aftermath of a nuclear conflict in Britain

Question 31

In 1983, there was a march in London with…

Answer 31

CND, opposing nuclear weapons. 200,000 marched

Question 32

Similar demonstrations were held across Europe…

Answer 32

there was a march with 600,000 in West Germany

Question 33

What were the three factors in Thatcher’s contribution to ending the Cold War?

Answer 33

1. Her combative style and determination to confront the USSR in the early 1980s
2. Her willingness to negotiate with the new reformist Soviet leader, Gorbachev, from 1985
3. Her foreign policy, founded on the special relationship with the US

Question 34

Gorbachev became leader of the Soviet Union in 1985. He made a remarkable impression on…

Answer 34

the hard-line conservatives, Thatcher and Reagan

Question 35

Thatcher encouraged Reagan to negotiate with Gorbachev and as a result…

Answer 35

in 1986, at the Reykjavik summit, Reagan and Gorbachev discovered that each was willing to make compromises.
Although this meeting ended without agreement, it paved the way for future progress.

Question 36

What major step was taken in 1987?

Answer 36

The Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was signed in Washington.

Question 37

What did the treaty entail?

Answer 37

It limited short-range weapons and began a process of mutual disarmament

Question 38

Although the Cold War had not ended…

Answer 38

for the first time in years, it appeared an end might be possible

Question 39

What is meant by ‘handbag diplomacy’?

Answer 39

It was used to describe Thatcher’s more abrasive style of negotiation in comparison to the more measured and patient negotiations that was more usual for Foreign Office diplomats

Question 40

What did this mean in the context of Europe relations?

Answer 40

Thatcher’s style caused some conflict and clashed with the consensual politics of other European leaders.
However, there were still many circumstances where Britain cooperated closely with Europe.

Question 41

Content summary:

Answer 41

> The causes of the Falklands War
Thatcher’s response to the Falklands conflict
Thatcher and Reagan