Foreign Policy of the Conservative Governments (1951-1964)

Introduction

• Second of two videos discussing British foreign policy from 1951 to 1964 under Conservative governments.
• Britain emerged from WWII weakened, overshadowed by the USA and USSR.
• First video covered Britain's consideration of joining the EEC and its relationship with the USA during the Cold War.

Key Topics in This Video

• Suez Crisis
• Decolonization

Suez Crisis

Background

• Suez Canal connects Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean, crucial for trade.
• Prior to Suez Canal, trade routes required circumnavigating Africa.
• 80% of Western European oil imports passed through the Suez Canal.

Events Leading to the Crisis

• 1956: Colonel Nasser leads a coup in Egypt, nationalizes the Suez Canal.
• Britain and France, dependent on the canal, are horrified by control shift to Egypt under Nasser.

Britain's Response

• Eden and Churchill refused to accept Britain's diminished global role.
• Eden likened Nasser to a dictator in the mold of Hitler and sought to curtail his influence.

The Suez Plot

• Britain, France, and Israel secretly plan: Israel would invade Egypt; Britain and France would intervene under the guise of peacekeeping.
• Plan executed but fails due to lack of US support.

US Intervention

• US President Eisenhower condemns the secrecy and demands a ceasefire.
• US pressure pivotal in ending the British-French-Israeli intervention.

Consequences

• End of Eden's political career and rise of Macmillan.
• Damaged Britain's international moral reputation.
• Highlighted Britain's diminished status as a global superpower.

Decolonization

Context

• Process began with Britain's withdrawal from India in 1947.

Churchill's Approach

• Advocated for a gradual transition, using military force to suppress independence movements.
• Example: Mau Mau Rebellion in Kenya.

Macmillan's Realization

• Acknowledged necessity and reality of decolonization.
• Advocated for faster, more orderly independence.

Macmillan's Hopes

• Newly independent countries to adopt black majority rule and align with Western capitalist democracies.

Key Events

• 1960: Macmillan's "wind of change" speech in Cape Town
• Independence granted to several countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Cyprus, Kenya, etc.)

Impact

• Transition from empire to a commonwealth of nations.
• More peaceful decolonization compared to other European powers, e.g., France in Algeria.

Conclusion

• By the end of this period, Britain recognized its reduced global power status.
• Stronger ties with the USA, but as a junior partner in international affairs.
• Ongoing challenges with European integration and decolonization.

Additional Resources

• Encouragement to subscribe for more content on British history, politics, and other areas.