Foreign Policy 1965-1979
- Created by: yazmintaylorx
- Created on: 03-01-18 13:50
View mindmap
- Foreign Policy 1965-1979
- Withdrawal from the East of Suez 1965-1975
- Dennis Healey - Defence Minister
- started process of spending cuts to reduce defence budget to under £2bn by 1970
- this was due to the 1967 devaluation crisis
- troop withdrawals were made from Aden, Middle East Malysia & Singapore
- Wilson criticised for not withdrawing far or fast enough
- Wilson believed in the Atlantic Alliance & Britain's continuing world role
- Dennis Healey - Defence Minister
- Success of Wilson's Govt.
- successful
- defence spending cut to under £2bn by 1970
- defence white paper in 1967 set a timetable for withdrawal of troops from Aden, Singapore and Malaysia
- Jan 1968 - Roy Jenkins introduced drastic cuts to spending
- withdrawal from east of Suez rapidly accelerated
- troops out of Arabian Gulf by the end of 1971
- Wilson resisted Johnson's pressure to send troops to Vietnam
- British trained soldiers helped train US in guerrilla warfare
- allowed US Navy to use British base in Hong Kong & agreed to share intelligence with USA to keep good relations
- showed great skills in diplomacy
- supported USA but never sent single troop
- Rhodesia
- wanted to keep good relations with India so had to check out Smith's actions
- didn't send troop in - feared they'd refuse to fight
- economic warfare (oil & trade sanctions) worked initially
- Britain finally rid herself of problems in 1980 when Rhodesia estd. independnce
- unsuccessful
- Wilson criticised for not withdrawing enough troops fast enough
- no serious debate about Britain giving up costly nuclear deterrent
- Heath govt. 1970s reversing / delaying the withdrawals discussion
- Heath reluctant to to pull out of Gulf because of oil supplies
- process not competed until 1971
- Wilson's failure to strongly condemn USA
- His continued support (albeit lukewarm) for US war led to accusations of cowardice & collaboration with US 'war crimes'
- Rhodesia
- white supremacy & racial segregation
- deprivation of political role & land ownership of native Africans
- Wilson & Ian Smith met for talks but unable to reach compromise
- race & immigration issues started to divide British people
- 'Bush War' of guerrilla warfare broke out after failure to resolve issues
- successful
- Relations with the USA, USSR & China
- USA
- Heath less inclined to strengthen Atlantic Alliance
- rejected attempts from US sec. of state Kissinger to use B as a link to Europe
- Heath was friendly with Nixon & supported Vietnam war more than Wilson
- Oct 1973 relations worsened during Yom Kippur war as B refused to allow US to use NATO bases in UK in fear of jeopardising oil supplies in Middle East
- Wilson & Callaghan both keen on Atlantic Alliance
- Callaghan forged strong personal relationship with Kissinger
- negotiated replacement of Polaris with Trident in 1979 with President Carter
- Callaghan forged strong personal relationship with Kissinger
- Nevertheless, completed withdrawal from East of Suez despite US disquiet
- USSR
- Detente eased tensions & there was an agreement to limit build up of arms
- still underlying tension
- in London, Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian who defected to the West & spoke out against Soviet regime, was shot - KGB suspected
- China
- Feb 1972 Nixon visited China & had meetings with Mao Zedong
- March 1972 Britain followed & agreed to an exchange of ambassadors
- 1974 onwards, Heath made many visits to China
- was awarded the title 'people's Friendship Envoy' (highest possible honour China gave a foreigner
- USA
- The EEC
- why didn't Britain join EEC until 1973
- domestic political issues
- Wilson wasn't keen on Europe
- TUs aren't keen on Europe
- until 1973, focuses on domestic problems
- Heath is European diplomat with experience of Europe - speaks French
- Britain sick man of Europe? (weak economy)
- foreign policy issues
- DeGaulle is fiercely opposed to Britain's entry
- fear of US influence (special relationship)
- wants B. to choose between C-wealth, EEC & USA
- Pompidou new French President in favour of Britain joining
- DeGaulle is fiercely opposed to Britain's entry
- domestic political issues
- 1975 EEC Referendum
- why was it held?
- Labour govt. thought Heath had given too much away when negotiating B.'s entry to the EEC in 1973
- Wilson's govt. managed to secure some concessions, allowing b. to continue importing goods from c-wealth & reduction in amount B. had to contribute to EEC budget
- concerns over VAT also resolved
- secured reduction of £125m a year to EEC
- Wilson was satisfied with this new deal & put matter to a vote in Parliament who voted in favour of staying in the EEC
- the matter was put to s national vote on 5th June 1975
- was it a conclusive result?
- 65% turnout with large majority of 67% voting to remain in the EEC
- decisive victory in favour of EEC membership
- did the issue go away?
- issue of how much control B. should give EEC institutions didn't go away
- in 1980s, Thatcher would clash openly with the EEC over budget & political sovereignty
- 2016 EU referendum
- 'No' arguments
- removal of political independence
- merging of Britain, Germany, Italy & other countries into single nation
- common market makes B's laws & decides our policies on food, prices, trade & employment
- those who vote to stay are 'defeatists' who 'see no independent future' for Britain
- why did 'No' lose?
- 'No' had support from the most left-wing Labour ministers eg Barbara Castle & Tony Benn
- 'Yes' had support from most of the govt. & most of the Cons. party inc. new leader - Thatcher
- 'Yes' had support from most of the media & British business leaders inc. CBI
- why was it held?
- why didn't Britain join EEC until 1973
- Oil
- 1973 Oil Crisis
- Western economies like the UK relied on cheap oil imports from the Middle East
- cheap oil powered industry, air travel, cars & created new synthetic plastics industry
- era of cheap oil came to sudden & dramatic end in 1973 when oil-rich states of Arabian Gold quadrupled the price of oil
- era of 'easy prosperity' was over
- dramatic oil price rise of 1973 caused surging inflation as well as an entry crisis in the UK
- Western economies like the UK relied on cheap oil imports from the Middle East
- North Sea Oil
- in the early 1970s, vast amounts of oil & gas discovered in the North Sea off Scotland
- however, it did not come on-stream until late 1970s/early 1980s
- too late to avert oil crisis of 1973 or lessen B's other economic troubles
- it did seem to offer a way out of B's economic decline in the long run
- PM Callaghan said that 'god had given GB its best chance in over 100 years in the shape of North Sea oil'
- by mid-1980s B one of the top six oil producing nations in the world earning billions a year in extra revenue for govt
- net exporter of oil until 2005
- 1973 Oil Crisis
- Withdrawal from the East of Suez 1965-1975
Comments
No comments have yet been made