Britain's Relationship with Europe 1945-63 Flashcards
(19 cards)
What was the consensus between Western European Countries Post 1945 and what did this lead to?
Movement amongst Western European Nations to mutual cooperation, led to 1957 signing of the ‘Treaty of Rome’ by ‘the Six. This created the EEC
What were the key terms of the ‘Treaty of Rome’?
- Established a common market and customs union to monitor trade between member states
- CAP (Common Agriculture Policy)
- Compulsory protectionist policy against all non member nations (meant loss of Empire trade links through Commonwealth for Britain if they joined)
What was the CAP?
Aim to end rural poverty through the EEC subsidising poorer areas by transfer of money from richer areas. Subsidy system meant set prices for farmers regardless of demand or cost, meaning high consumer prices therefore became controversial for the EEC
What was the political character of the EEC at the beginning?
Germany wanted to re establish itself and a respectable nation, France was motivated by fear of a resurgent Germany, therefore wanted to control through a common formal organisation. Benelux and Italy wanted to extract maximum economic concessions from Germany post war as possible, best achieved through a federation
What was Britain’s post war attitude to joining the EEC?
2 main parties initially rejected the idea of joining Europe
What was Britain’s attitude to joining the EEC in the 1960s?
Labour still rejected (OCT 1962 Lab leader Gaitskell dismissed idea at party conference) but Conservatives began considering joining
What were British government’s economic attitudes post war?
British governments felt the economic future was with the USA and Commonwealth, not with Europe
What was the British attitude to the EEC between the 1950s-60s?
Government began to doubt if Britain should remain separate from EEC
- Poor economic performance compared to EEC countries + failure of EFTA to match EEC economic success - International shifts in status as independent power + Special Relationship due to SUEZ CRISIS, British difficulty remaining independent nuclear force (outdated technology, began buying US Polaris nuclear missiles) - Decline of traditionally influential agricultural lobby in Conservative Party, replaced with City orientated (financially minded), younger, Pro European members-> feared being economically left behind
What is the difference between the EFTA and EEC?
Difference between EFTA and EEC
- EFTA was free trade, EEC was protectionist
EFTA never matched EEC influence, most members joined EEC by 1972
What happened in Britain 1961?
- Macmillan announced considering applying to EEC (followed a report by Pro European Minister Edward Heath in charge of implications of entering the EEC)
- Promised Britain would join only on the condition their existing Commonwealth and EFTA trading agreements would be preserved
What happened in 1963?
First French Veto
- Special trading privileges for Britain with the Commonwealth made their negotiation weak and less convincing
- De Gaulle (French President), used veto to block Britain’s first formal application to EEC in 1963
Why did De Gaulle veto Britain joining the EEC in 1963?
○ Evidence of contradiction of freedom of Commonwealth and joining the EEC through Commonwealth countries of Africa, newly independent and scared of compromising freedom, rejected specially negotiated offer to become associate members of EEC in 1962
- Was also afraid of the control Britain would have in EEC (wanted to keep power) + Saw EEC as a counterbalance to American power, didn't want British membership to undermine this
Evidence of this as failure for France-Britain joint nuclear arms development was followed by USA-Britain agreement on Polaris missiles in 1972
What did Britain do post 1963 in terms of EEC?
Britain was forced to wait until de Gaulle was no longer French leader to reapply (begging position, internationally humiliating Britain)
- When Britain was eventually accepted it was not on British terms
What does Common Market mean?
trading system between equal states with the minimum of regulation
What does Protectionist mean?
Making non-common market goods uncompetitive by denying them entry or placing tariffs on them
What does Federation mean?
organisation where member states surrender a significant degree of individual sovereignty for the union of states to have effective executive power
What is the EFTA?
European Free Trade Association formed by Britain, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Denmark in 1959, set up as an alternative to the protectionist EEC
What is the ‘Special Relationship?’
Coined by Winston Churchill in 1946 to describe the common values between the USA and Britain that made them allies
What does ‘City Orientated’ mean?
refers to money markets in London’s international financial centre, known as ‘the City’
