The British Imperial Establishment, Post Imperial Era, and the ‘Churchillian’ World View, 1945-2016. (Adjustments & Challenges in Contemporary British Diplomatic Strategy)

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the
Free French), and Britain’s obtaining of Polaris was a further justification for
vetoing Britain’s
application. Moreover, de Gaulle rejected British entry into the

E.E.C. because he was
convinced that British friendship with the U.S. would
result in more American influence in European
affairs.

In
contrast to her traditional stance, in which the United States did not wish
to involve herself in
European affairs, Washington was increasingly keen, as a
result of the Soviet Union’s expansionist
policy, to have strong allies in Western
Europe. Therefore, the U.S. wanted to see the United Kingdom
entering the
E.E.C.. For Britain, on the other hand, it would have been a first step of
the
Churchillian policy that Europe should be united, with Britain, through her
political and
diplomatic skill, as the leading nation of a Western European union;
although, as has been said earlier,
there were economic advantages too by that
time. Nevertheless, the main implication would have been
political. This is no
more than what the leaders of all the British political parties admit when they
say
that “they accept the political as well as the economic objectives of the Treaty
of
Rome.”54 America wanted Britain to join the E.E.C. so that
Washington’s
Influence in Europe would become stronger, as a result of the
‘special-
relationship’ with Britain. The U.S. and U.K. both had interest in British
entry
into the E.E.C., but, as I have shown from my work, they had conflicting
ambitions.
Ironically, when Kennedy met de Gaulle in Paris in 1961, he raised
the issue with de Gaulle. He tried to
persuade him to ease the way for British
entry. This was ironic on two accounts. First, de Gaulle was not
keen on Britain
entering the E.E.C. because of her ‘special relationship’ with America.
Therefore,
Kennedy’s persuasion only justified his opposition. Secondly, Britain wanted to
join
the European Economic Community not for the same reason that America
wanted her to, but for her own
political influence.

When
Churchill advocated that Europe should become united, although
then out work of office, he worked bard to
involve the United States in the defence

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