Britain + US Flashcards
(7 cards)
1950s success:
- 1951-53 Korean War, US + British forces fought alongside each other
- 1956, Suez Crisis caused little permanent damage to relations
1950s unsuccessful
- Korean War, British clearly subordinated to US decision making
- 1956, Suez Crisis
o Showed Britain could not act independently of, and certainly not in opposition to, the US.
o Post-Suez, US found themselves increasingly taking over Britain’s role as guardian of Western interests in the Middle East
- Macmillan exploited his wartime friendship with Eisenhower and made it clear that the US alliance was central to Britain’s foreign policy
1960s and 1970s successful
- President Kennedy regarded PM Macmillan as a political father figure
- Kennedy consulted Macmillan for advice, 1961 Berlin crisis and 1962 Cuban missile crisis
- Callaghan
o Warmer relations restored
o Personal chemistry between Callaghan and Carter - 1982 Falklands War, US logistical and intelligence assistance vital to Britain’s victory
o Thatcher reciprocated April 1986 - allowed USA to use British-based F111s to bomb Libya in retaliation for terrorist actions against American targets
1960s and 70s unsuccessful
· Britain’s world power reduced by its economic difficulties and by the rapid decolonisation of its empire
o Importance and value of the British to the Americans diminished
· Wilson
o Vietnam War 1955-75
§ PM Wilson failed to broker peace in the Vietnam War, 1967
§ Wilson only irritated President Johnson (1963-69) who was already disappointed that no British troops were fighting alongside the Americans in Vietnam
· Heath
o Cool relations with USA
o Believed Britain’s future lay with Europe and wanted Britain, instead of claiming special status in Washington, to be part of a Europe-wide partnership with the USA.
Three principal areas of disagreement
· Thatcher dismayed by Reagan’s willingness to bargain away the West’s nuclear deterrent in his talks with the reformist Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev
· Thatcher disliked Reagan’s Strategic Defence Initiative idea
· Oct 1983, Americans invaded Grenada, a member of the Commonwealth, to remove its communist gov. Thatcher outraged bc she had advised Reagan against invasion.
1990s successful
· First Gulf War (1990-91) + Balkans conflict (1995)
o Strong cooperation
· Some initial disagreement, European NATO powers, including Britain, co-operated with the USA in a bombing campaign against the Bosnian Serbs and also co-operated in bringing about the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the conflict
1997 unsuccessful
· British politicians exercise little influence over American decision making
· British still relied on USA to supply its nuclear deterrent, and usually exercised its influence in the UN Security Council in co-operation with the Americans
· Thatcher rarely sacrificed British interests to support the USA
