How would you characterise
Britain’s policy towards
Europe since 1945?
Britain Before World War II
The British Empire
Britain Before World War II
• Prior to World War II (1939-1945), Great Britain was the dominant world power.
• At its peak in 1920, it had nearly 25% of the world's land in it's empire,
with over 500 million people under its rule.
• At this point, the British Empire was known as “The empire on which the sun never
sets.”
World War II and Beyond
The Empire Crumbles
World War II and Beyond
• Following World War II, Britain and mainland Europe were left in a weakened state,
both economically and politically.
• This was due obviously to the effects of the war, but also due to the economic and
military rise of the United States and the Soviet Union.
• Pro-Independent movements in their Empire also saw major dominions like Pakistan and
India, also known as the jewel of the empire, receive independence in 1947.
• “The 1939-45 conflict confirmed that Britain was not a great power from intrinsic
strength. In 1945 a war-weary and bankrupt country was eclipsed by two superpowers,
the United States and the Soviet Union,” – Anthony Adamthwaite (Overstretched and
Overstrung: Eden, the Foreign Office and the Making of Policy, 1951–5)
How this shaped British policy
towards Europe
T h e F i g h t To R e m a i n “ I n d e p e n d e n t ”
British Policy Towards Europe
• During WWII, Britain acknowledged the US’ power, but also wanted to maintain its own
strength, while fighting Soviet expansion and also containing Germany.
• Churchill described British FP as three circles: The US, Empire/Commonwealth and
Europe.
• This decision to ally with the United States would backfire however as the US was anticolonial in its approach and also promoted free trade.
• Churchill would suffer a shock defeat to Clement Attlee in the 1945 elections.
• While in Opposition, Churchill was pro-European integration and felt that a European
alliance was necessary.
• In 1946, he delivered a speech in Zurich where he called for a “United States of Europe”.
T h e F i g h t To R e m a i n “ I n d e p e n d e n t ”
British Policy Towards Europe
• Churchill suggested that the re-creation of the “European family” had to be a partnership
between France and Germany, but noted Britain and the Commonwealth would be “friends
and sponsors of the New Europe”.
• In the late 40’s Britain would cooperate with Europe through the Brussels Pact and
formation of the OEEC and NATO.
• During the 50’s, British Governments would watch from the side-lines and watch as these
two countries developed the European framework.
• 1950: Britain does not take part in discussions for the Pleven Plan, which leads to the
creation of the European Defence Community.
• 1951: Britain’s refusal to join the Franco-German led European Coal and Steel Community.
• 1955: Britain declines taking part in the Messina Conference.
• 1957: Treaty of Rome is signed, creating the European Economic Community. Euratom is
also created.
C a n’ t B e a t T h e m ? Jo i n T h e m .
British Policy Towards Europe
• Britain was dissuaded from joining these agreements due to their supranational nature.
• 1960: Britain helps establish the European Free Trade Area with European states who are
not apart of the EEC.
• Britain’s attitude towards the mainland continent quickly shifted as it applied for
membership of the EEC in 1961. This was due to its struggling economy and the realization
that the EEC was growing.
• 1961 and 1967: Britain applied to join the EEC and was declined twice by French President
Charles De Gaulle.
• “There is the Common Market, and for us, there is no problem. For you, there is one. You
want to get in, and that is your problem,” Charles De Gaulle to British Foreign Secretary
George Brown in 1967.
• 1973: Under PM Edward Heath, Britain is admitted to the EEC after De Gaulle resigned.
Changing Tides
British Policy Towards Europe
• England were still of the belief it could be a driving force in the EEC, but soon realised the
Franco-German alliance as the dominant power.
• In 1974: Heath would lose the Government to Harold Wilson and his Labour Party.
• Wilson would then follow through on the Labour Party’s election promise by having a
referendum on Britain’s membership in the EEC in 1975.
• 67% of voters selected to stay in the EEC.
• Margaret Thatcher assumed leadership from 1979-1990 and under her leadership, Britain
increasingly was at odds with Europe emerged.
• One of her main battles with the EEC was to negotiate the Fontainebleau Agreement, also
known as the “UK Rebate” which reimburses a portion of Britain’s budgetary imbalance.
Changing Tides
British Policy Towards Europe
• In the years following Thatcher’s departure from office, Britain would continue to struggle
with its position vis a vie Europe.
• 1992: Conservative Prime Minister John Major signs the Maastricht Treaty. Creating the
European Union as we know it.
• The rocky relationship between the two sides would remain until 2016 when Prime Minister
David Cameron held the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.
• Unlike the 1975 referendum, this vote saw the British decide to leave the EU by 52% to 48%.
How would I characterise Britain’s
policy towards Europe since 1945?
Brito-centrism and Eurosceptism
Bibliography
• Adamthwaite, Anthony. “Overstretched and Overstrung: Eden, the Foreign Office and the Making of
Policy, 1951–5.” International Affairs, vol. 64, no. 2, 1988, pp. 241–259., doi:10.2307/2621850.
• Baimbridge, Mark. The 1975 Referendum on Europe - Vol 1 : Reflections of the Participants, Andrews UK,
2006.
• Jackson, Ashley. The British Empire: a Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press, 2013.
• Müller, Jan-Werner. Memory and Power in Post-War Europe: Studies in the Presence of the Past.
Cambridge University Press, 2002.
• Niblett, Robin. “Choosing between America and Europe: a New Context for British Foreign Policy.”
International Affairs, vol. 83, no. 4, 2007, pp. 627–641., doi:10.1111/j.1468-2346.2007.00644.x.
• Simms, Brendan. Britain’s Europe: a Thousand Years of Conflict and Cooperation. Allen Lane, an Imprint
of Penguin Books, 2016.
• Young, John W. “Churchill's 'No' to Europe: The 'Rejection' of European Union by Churchill's Post-War
Government, 1951-1952.” The Historical Journal, vol. 28, no. 4, 1985, pp. 923–937.
• Young, John W. Britain and European Unity: 1945-1992. Macmillan, 1996.74: