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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of
Europe, a policy that Ernest Bevin was equally keen on, as Chapter Five’s work
indicated. Britain
welcomed the Marshall Plan, accepting Washington’s lead in
West Germany and Berlin, the signing of
the N.A.T.O. treaty and the assumption
by the United States of a dominating military position in the
whole area.
Consequently, American power and money prevented the left from victory,
particularly in
Greece and Italy where the ruling class was approaching total
political bankruptcy, and the capitalist
system in Western Europe remained
stabilised, Churchill said, in regard to Britain’s post-war
role:

“As I look upon the future of our country in the changing scene of human
destiny, I feel the
existence of three great circles among the free nations
and democracies… first circle for us is
naturally the British Commonwealth
and Empire, with all that that comprises. Then there is also the
English-
speaking world in which we, Canada, and the other Dominions and the
United States play so
important a part. And finally there is the United
Europe…. Now, if you think of the three inter-linked
circles you will see
that we are the only country which has a great part in every one of
them.”55

Although having to accept America in the leading role, Britain, from the
beginning, had influenced
N.A.T.O., which also covered the regional Pacts, to
accommodate British interests and the British sphere
of influence, as well as
American requirements. (S.E.A.T.O. and C.E.N.T.O., the regional Pacts that
we
discussed, were all with American participation.)

In
respect of the E.E.C., Britain’s formal application for membership was
made by MacMillan in August
1961. By December 1962 the negotiations for
British membership of the E.E.C. were making progress.
However, in mid-
December, at a meeting in Rambouillet, just before the Nassau Conference
of
MacMillan and Kennedy, the French President, de Gaulle, had made his position
clear by telling
MacMillan that he did not consider Britain to be European, and
that he would veto British application to
join the Community. MacMillan was

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