Wilson Foreign Policy
- Created by: ulas.akkus97
- Created on: 03-05-18 22:01
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- "Wilson failed to achieve any of his foreign policy aims between 1964 and 1970."
- USA
- Wilson's Aim
- Maintain the special relationship and ensure that Communism is suppressed
- Vietnam War 1964
- Johnson wanted moral and military support in Vietnam
- Wilson's action upset all parties involved
- With hindsight, it was the best response to the dilemma.
- Wilson's action upset all parties involved
- This was a huge dilemma as military backing would lead to mass civil and parliamentary protest
- In the end, he took a middle stance; giving US moral support but no military backing.
- It is unfair to conclude Wilson's policy with the USA as unsuccessful.
- In the end, he took a middle stance; giving US moral support but no military backing.
- Johnson wanted moral and military support in Vietnam
- Wilson's Aim
- Rhodesia
- Wilson's Aim
- Overturn Smith's decision of unilateral declaration of independence in 1965 with white minority rule
- Whilst he did not achieve his aim and it created upset in parliament and in the commonwealth, the rigidity of Smith meant that no progress was viable.
- Negotiations
- Their meeting on HMS Tiger in December 1966 outlined the rigidity of Smith when he denounced everything he had said
- Smith was more stern in 1968 on HMS Sheffield
- Wilson imposed economic embargos and oil sanctions without much success
- Wilson's Aim
- Europe
- Divisions in Labour
- Gaitskell had fought against the 1962 application
- 'End of a thousand years of history'
- Gaitskellites within the party were against it
- Wilson View
- Ambivalent but preferred the Commonwealth and the US
- This ambivalence in the leader and the split in the party made the application half-hearted
- Gaitskellites within the party were against it
- This ambivalence in the leader and the split in the party made the application half-hearted
- Ambivalent but preferred the Commonwealth and the US
- Castle & Foot prominent Eurosceptics
- Jenkins & Brown prominent Europhiles
- Gaitskell had fought against the 1962 application
- Application 1967
- Wilson & Brown successful meeting with De Gaulle and tour of the other 5 European states
- In June 1967, De Gaulle demanded that Wilson detach itself from the US in order to be accepted
- Wilson could not do this so De Gaulle vetoed Britain for the 2nd time
- Therefore, Europe cannot be seen as a failure as the only reason why Britain was vetoed was bc of Wilson's preference of the US
- Wilson could not do this so De Gaulle vetoed Britain for the 2nd time
- Divisions in Labour
- Decolonisation
- Process
- Healey, Defence Minister, spending cuts in 1967 which would bring the defence budget below £2bn by 1970.
- Process was accelerated after the devaluation crisis in Jenkins' 1968 budget
- Troops to be completely withdrawn by 1971
- This budget also retracted the commitment on upgrading the nuclear system made in 1967
- High Tech plane TSR-2 abandoned
- Process was accelerated after the devaluation crisis in Jenkins' 1968 budget
- Troops from Borneo, Malaysia, Singapore, Persian Gulf all began withdrawal.
- Healey, Defence Minister, spending cuts in 1967 which would bring the defence budget below £2bn by 1970.
- Reaction
- US opposed this as Britain was needed to occupy as much land as possible to deter Communism
- Some people still believed Britain had the role of world policing
- Largely approved, the economic and moral factors were concluding in the case for decolonisation
- Process
- USA
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