Alex May - Britain and Europe since 1945

Britain and Europe since 1945

ALEX MAY

First published 1999 by Pearson Education Limited

Published 2013 by Routledge
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Copyright 1999, Taylor & Francis.

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ISBN: 978-0-582-30778-0 (pbk)

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

May, Alex (Alex Charles)

Set by 7 in 10/12 Sabon

Such is the pace of historical enquiry in the modern world that there is an ever-widening gap between the specialist article or monograph, incorporating the results of current research, and general surveys, which inevitably become out of date. Seminar Studies in History are designed to bridge this gap. The series was founded by Patrick Richardson in 1966 and his aim was to cover major themes in British, European and World history. Between 1980 and 1996 Roger Lockyer continued his work, before handing the editorship over to Clive Emsley and Gordon Martel. Clive Emsley is Professor of History at the Open University, while Gordon Martel is Professor of International History at the University of Northern British Columbia, Canada and Senior Research Fellow at De Montfort University.

All the books are written by experts in their field who are not only familiar with the latest research but have often contributed to it. They are frequently revised, in order to take account of new information and interpretations. They provide a selection of documents to illustrate major themes and provoke discussion, and also a guide to further reading. The aim of Seminar Studies is to clarify complex issues without over-simplifying them, and to stimulate readers into deepening their knowledge and understanding of major themes and topics.

Readers should note that numbers in square brackets [5] refer them to the corresponding entry in the Bibliography at the end of the book (specific page numbers are given in italics). A number in square brackets preceded by Doc. [Doc. 5] refers readers to the corresponding item in the Documents section which follows the main text.

The publishers would like to thank the following for permission to reproduce copyright material: Macmillan Ltd for two tables from British Political Facts, 190094 by David and Gareth Butler, 1994; Sir Colin Marshall for a letter from the Financial Times, 11 March 1997; Sir Teddy Taylor for a letter from The Times, 11 February 1997; Financial Times Professional Ltd for extracts from From the Six to the Twelve: The Enlargement of the European Communities, by Frances Nicholson and Roger East, published by Longman Group UK Limited in 1987; The Economist, London for an extract from 10 July 1950; Her Majesty's Stationery Office for Documents on British Policy Overseas Series I Vol V, Series II Vol I, Series II Vol III; Various PRO documents PRO FCAB 128/48 c(51)32), PRO CAB 128/29 cm(55)19), PRO T234/203), PRO CAB 134/1820, EQ (60)27); Cmnd 1565 and Cmnd 4715; Britain's New Deal in Europe, published in May 1975; Crown Copyright is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office.

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I am here in a country which hardly resembles the rest of Europe, the French philosopher Montesquieu declared during a visit to Britain in 1729. A number of historians have confirmed the substance of his observation. Indeed, Alan Macfarlane has argued that as early as the fifteenth century the decline of serfdom, the rise of a market economy and the existence of a distinctive legal system had produced in England (although not necessarily in Wales, Scotland or Ireland) a society in which almost every aspect of the culture was diametrically opposed to that of the surrounding nations [56 p. 165]. While such arguments should not be pressed too far, most historians would agree that the developments of the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries reinforced rather than diminished whatever elements of separateness and distinctness existed. The religious Reformation, although paralleled by developments on the continent, was unique both in its origins and its consequences, and provided the English and lowland Scots with a peculiar sense of providential destiny. The political changes of the mid-seventeenth to early eighteenth centuries the Civil War of 164260, the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and the Act of Union of 1707 reinforced this sense of uniqueness. The integration of Britain itself was accompanied by a new and assertive role as a maritime power and by the steady accumulation of a vast overseas empire. War, religion, empire, prosperity and parliamentary freedom combined to forge a widespread and active British patriotism, which defined itself largely by opposition to the culture of continental Europe. The industrial revolution, which transformed the British economy earlier and more thoroughly than any of its continental neighbours, gave added impetus to the public myth of uniqueness which had already taken hold [47 p. 149, 52].

The nineteenth century was Britain's heyday, the period of its greatest relative economic and political power. The British Empire encompassed a quarter of the earth's land surface and a similar proportion of its inhabitants. It was perhaps inevitable that the British should see themselves not only as unique amongst Europeans, but also as separate and different; and that British policy towards the continent should be characterised (in Lord Salisbury's famous words) by splendid isolation. Yet even at this high point many recognised that Britain was still a part of Europe; that British culture and British power were reflections of more general European trends. Towards the end of the century, the differences between Britain and its continental neighbours palpably diminished. Other countries industrialised some more proficiently than Britain. The Scandinavian countries, Belgium, the Netherlands and France (after 1870) maintained political systems at least as liberal and democratic as Britain's. Moreover, centuries of history confirmed that Britain could hardly remain indifferent to developments across the Channel. By the close of the century the dangers of isolation were becoming apparent. Europe was increasingly dominated by a powerful and expansionist Germany, which now embarked on an ambitious naval programme. Colonial conflict was becoming ever more likely. The South African war of 18991902 administered a sharp shock to the British psyche: the whole of Europe was hostile, while all available British forces were tied up by a handful of Dutch settlers. As the new century dawned, British politicians scrambled to shore up the balance of power, and with it Britain's position. Alliances were concluded with Japan in 1902, with France in 1904, and with Russia in 1907. By these alliances, however, Britain merely increased the tensions in Europe, which was now firmly divided into two armed camps. When war finally came in 1914, it was almost a relief [15,