Great Britain, the United States and the Commonwealth

Résumé du document

The aim of the lecture is to determine whether there is really a special relationship between Britain and the US. It was only in the aftermath of the Second World War that the term of special relationship came to be used to describe the partnership between Britain and America. Indeed, despite the fact that the first colonizers in America had been the British, it could be said, that relations between the US and her mother country had previously been characterized by discord rather than harmony. The first major conflict between Britain and the US was of course the American War of Independence, which was first initiated in 1775, following King Georges III's refusal to respond to American grievances concerning issues of taxation, trade and land settlement. In 1812, America declared war on Britain, this time it was over royal navy violations of American territorial waters during the Napoleon age wars. Paradoxically, even in these times of conflict, the roots of a special relationship can be detected. The 1776 declaration of Independence was inspired and justified by the philosophy of 'contractual governance' promoted by John Locke. Also, its political and legal models closely resembled those of Britain. Also, it has been suggested that the capacity of the British and the Americans to successfully negotiate peace with each other after the 1812 war provided a model for future peaceful diplomatic negotiations between both sides. But nonetheless, relations between the two parts were not without any difficulties during this period, because both nations were competing with each other for power.

Extraits

[...] The Bretton Woods agreement of 1944, not only set up the USA dominated international monetary Fund, but also confirmed the decline of the pound sterling. This situation was not hammed /held by the fact, that Britain was severely weakened by her war debts. One of the first moves of the labour government under the leadership of Clement Attlee was the trip of the liberal economist John Maynard Keynes to the USA to try to negotiate a favourable termination of the Land Lease agreement. [...]

[...] Britain was keen to preserve important trade links with the country, and she needed her gold. In addition, Britain hoped to be able to rely on South Africa's military assistance should it ever be necessary to involve the African continent in the Cold War. Considerable controversy arose over the issue in the 1980ies, with Margaret Thatcher refusing to accede to the demands of other Commonwealth heads of State to prohibit British companies from investing in or trading with South Africa. [...]

[...] So Nasser, the Egyptian nationalist leader, his nationalisation of the Suez Canal threatened British national economy, which was dependent on oil supplies from the Middle East (previously the British had owned 40% of the canal). And Britain was also outranged by Nasser's refusal to show hostility to the Eastern block and they treated them as a dictator who should not be appeased. The Eden's government in collaboration with France and Israel acted quickly against Nasser. Britain aimed to preserve his influence, economic interests and trade routes. It seems that Eden underestimate the American reactions and the American's desire not to be seen to be supporting imperial power in their old imperial ways. [...]

[...] It is true that Britain had no other option, but to rely militarily on the United States; the Commonwealth and the European Union were simply not strong enough to fight Soviet threat. However, this special relationship was not just one way. The Americans are considerable to begin a close cooperation with the British. Firstly, because of its imperial past, Britain played a key if subordinate geo- political rule in the American strategy of the containment of communism. Britain conserved a political and military presence in vast territories throughout the world in Africa, the Middle and the Far East and in areas, that were considered to be sensitive (it means perhaps pro communist) from a political point of view. [...]

[...] The Westland affaire occurred in 1985 until 1986. For the British helicopter company Westland, the government had a choice; it was either allow the company to be bought by a European consortium or allow a takeover by the American dominated Sikorsky-Fiat. Thatcher chose the American solution. That has a symbolic importance. Of course, Thatcher's own Euro-skepticism was infamous! John Major and William Clinton: The Anglo-American relationship cooled somehow under the leadership of John Major. Major and Clinton did not simply get on very well. [...]