Chapter 4: Foreign Relations Flashcards
What is a superpower?
an extremely powerful nation with influence on other countries
What was the Schuman Plan 1950?
set out proposals for a Coal and Steel community that would integrate French and German heavy industry to promote rapid economic reconstruction and bind the two countries together to eliminate the prospect of future wars between them- this was the basis of the EEC
Why was this scheme strongly supported by Britain and the US?
viewed as an important contribution to the security of Europe
Why did Britain not initially become involved in the EEC?
-very few politicians/ journalists in favour of Britain taking up a leadership role in Europe
-the Left tended to be suspicious of the free-market principles behind the EEC
-the Right tended to regard the preservation of traditional trade links with the Commonwealth as more important
-belief it was an issue for continental Europe
-assumption that Britain was still a “great world power”
-wanted to balance its involvement with Europe and maintaining the “special relationship” with the US
When was the EEC launched?
1957 (by the Treaty of Rome)
What was the EEC dominated by?
the partnership between France and Germany
What was the French president, Charles de Gaulle, determined to protect the partnership from?
Britain and the influence of the United States
What was the EEC?
economic union sometimes known as the “Common Market” which later became the European Union in 1992
When was the EFTA launched?
1960
What was the EFTA?
created by Britain as an alternative to the EEC, it made a free trade arena although each EFTA member could negotiate separately with non-EFTA members
How successful was the EFTA?
only moderately successful and could not match the economic growth of the EEC
When did Britain submit its first application to join the EEC?
1961
Why did Britain eventually apply to join the EEC?
hoped joining the EEC would
-boost industrial production for a large-scale export market
-increase industrial efficiency with greater competition
-stimulate economic growth with the rapid economic expansion already seen in the EEC
Why was the US keen for Britain to join the EEC?
strategic reasons- saw Britain as a vital link between Europe and America
Why had Britain’s position as an imperial power been shaken?
Suez crisis and accelerating pace of decolonisation
What positions in world affairs did Britain want to maintain despite its application to the EEC?
position in the Commonwealth and in the United States
Why did Britain’s eagerness to maintain these positions prove difficult and complex in negotiations with the EEC?
-EEC already had developed detailed economic structures e.g. Common Agricultural Policy which Britain found difficult to conform to
-special exemptions for Britain’s Commonwealth trade partners which would have been blocked by the EEC had to be sought
What year was Britain’s application to join the EEC blocked?
1963
Why was Britain’s application to join the EEC blocked?
at the last minute the President of France, Charles de Gaulle used his veto
What year was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
1962
What was the Cuban Missile Crisis?
-Cube requested the USSR to station nuclear weapons in Cuba which worried the US
-US set up a blockade to prevent Soviet ships from reaching Cuba
-tense negotiations eventually resulted Soviet withdrawing weapons from Cuba
Give some examples of how the “special relationship” was put under strain 1951-64?
-Burgess and Maclean affair
-Britains relationship with the EEC
-Suez Crisis
Why was it important for Britain to develop its own nuclear weapons during this period?
US had stopped sharing its nuclear secrets with Britain
When were Britain’s first tests of the atomic bomb?
1952
