Foreign Relations: 1951-64

Question 1

What was the major problem after WW2?

Answer 1

Britain was badly damaged and had huge debts

Question 2

What shows the diminished position of Britian in the world after the war?

Answer 2

1947 Britian removes economic commitments from Greece, Palastine and Turkey

Question 3

What was the Schuman plan (1950)

Answer 3

Proposals for a coal and steel community between France and Germany with the goal of a economic reconstruction and greater unity

Question 4

What set out the EEC?

Answer 4

The Treaty of Rome (1957)

Question 5

What was Britian’s stance on the EEC?

Answer 5

They supported it, but did not want to join. This was both the political and social attitude

Question 6

Why were Labour against the EEC on its inception?

Answer 6

They saw it as a “capitalist club” which worked against their socialist values

Question 7

Why were the Conservative’s against the EEC on its inception?

Answer 7

They wanted to focus on the commonwealth and the “special relationship” with the USA

Question 8

Why did the “Special Relationship” become even more important as the 50s and 60s progressed?

Answer 8

The developments of the Cold War

Question 9

What was another, more nationalist, view against the EEC?

Answer 9

Many people saw Britain as above the EEC

Question 10

I) What was Britian’s attempt at their own EEC called?

II) When was it set up?

Answer 10

I) EFTA (European Free Trade Association)

II) 1959

Question 11

Why was EFTA a mixed bag?

Answer 11

Nations saw growth, but less than the EEC nations

Question 12

When was the first EEC application?

Answer 12

1961

Question 13

Give 3 reasons (other than economic growth) that Britain applied to join the EEC in 1961

Answer 13

I) boost in exports
II) A boost in exports would also boost production
III) President Kennedy encouraged Macmillan to join to strengthen the USA’s position with Europe

Question 14

What was the major event that finally made British people reconsider Britain’s status as a great power?

Answer 14

The Suez Crisis

Question 15

What was De Gaulle’s biggest worry about Britain?

Answer 15

Their links with America would infringe on the power of the EU

Question 16

Why were the EEC negotiations in 1961 hard?

Answer 16

The UK wanted to continue commonwealth trade links

Question 17

What was one of the major points of conflict in the EEC application of 1961?

Answer 17

The Common Agricultural Policy. Britain wanted to buy lamb from New Zeland instead of France.

Question 18

I) When were Britain rejected from the EEC for the first time?
II) Why?

Answer 18

I) 1963

II) De Gaulle VETOd their application

Question 19

Give 3 pieces of Evidence for the close relationship between the UK and US

Answer 19

1) 90,000 supporting troops in the Korean War (1950-53)
2) Macmillan’s involvement in the planning of the Paris Summit (1960)
3) Kennedy keeping Macmillan closely informed during the Cuban Missile Crisis (1962)

Question 20

When was NATO formed? `

Answer 20

1949

Question 21

What were the three key points of conflict between Britain and the US?

Answer 21

1) Suez
2) Spy scandals (Burges and Mclean)
3) The USA was the dominant power

Question 22

When did the UK develop its nuclear bomb?

Answer 22

1957

Question 23

When was CND formed?

Answer 23

1958

Question 24

How many CND protestors were present at the 1958 and 1959 aldermarston marches?

Answer 24

8,000

Question 25

I) When do the US sign he Mutual Defence Agreement? | II) What did it stipulate?

Answer 25

I) 1958 | II) Sharing of nuclear secrets between the US and UK

Question 26

How did the Mutual Defence Agreement change Britain's approach to Nuclear weapons? (3)

Answer 26

I) more moderate labour politicians began to oppose them II) The UK was, once again, reliant on the USA III) The UK would adopt the submarine-launched Polaris technology

Question 27

What percentage of Western Europe's oil imports passed through the Suez canal?

Answer 27

80%

Question 28

Who was the Suez Canal operated by until 1956?

Answer 28

The Suez Canal Company (dominated by French investors)

Question 29

What even changed the Canal in 1956?

Answer 29

General Nasser leads a coup against the Suez Canal Company

Question 30

What project did England and America pull out of following the coup?

Answer 30

The Aswan Dam project

Question 31

How did Nasser respond to the UK and US pulling out of the Aswan Dam?

Answer 31

He nationalised the Suez canal to raise the funds for the dam

Question 32

Why was Nasser's anti-western stance even more worrying during this time?

Answer 32

There was a risk that Nasser would support the USSR

Question 33

How did Eden view Britian's world status?

Answer 33

He believed the UK was still a world power

Question 34

Which middle eastern nation also feared Nasser?

Answer 34

Israel

Question 35

Where did Britain, France and Israel meet?

Answer 35

Sevres

Question 36

Did Eden notify Parliament or the USA of the plan devised at Sevres?

Answer 36

No

Question 37

When was the Suez plan put into effect?

Answer 37

29th October 1956

Question 38

What was the reaction to the plan in Suez

Answer 38

Opposition from Labour and most of the British public

Question 39

What halted the military intervention in Egypt

Answer 39

The US denouncing America's actions

Question 40

What were two economic sanctions which caused Britain to suffer during the Crisis?

Answer 40

I) America blocked Britian's IMF loan application | II) Saudi Arabia places an Oil Embargo on the UK, and the US refuses to help until troops after withdrawn

Question 41

Which key cabinet member, who supported the invasion to begin with, convinced Eden to withdraw

Answer 41

Macmillan

Question 42

What are the 4 major impacts of the Suez Crisis?

Answer 42

1) Eden's political career ends 2) The establishment's reputation took a huge blow 3) Britain's reputation as a source for good in the world was weakened 4) It was clear the UK was no longer a major power due to the US's force of a cease fire. From here Britain would have to tie its foreign policy to the US.

Question 43

What was the first sign of decolonisation?

Answer 43

The withdrawal from India in 1947

Question 44

What was Churchill's view on Decolonisation?

Answer 44

It was going to happen (though he did not want it to) but it could happen slowly

Question 45

What major uprising in 1952 had to be quelled by the British army?

Answer 45

The Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya

Question 46

When was the Winds of Change speech?

Answer 46

1960

Question 47

What were the two key part of decolonisation that Macmillan hoped for?

Answer 47

I) That the nations would allow black majority rule | II) That the nation would side with "western" capitalism instead of USSR-style communism

Question 48

When did Ghana achieve independence?

Answer 48

1957

Question 49

When did Nigeria and Cyprus become independent?

Answer 49

1960

Question 50

Which nations became independent after 1960?

Answer 50

Tanganyika, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Kenya