Chapter 2

Chapter Summary

This chapter began by exploring the history and legacy of the UK’s key international relationships, focusing on its membership of key international organisations: the UN, the EU, NATO, the OSCE and the OECD. It moved on to explore the most prominent ideas that have shaped contemporary UK foreign policy thinking. It does this by splitting the history of British foreign policy into five periods: the Empire, the post-war era, the Cold War, and the new millennium, ending with the post-Brexit, ‘pre-war’ 2020s. Organising the material in this way helps students appreciate, in a simple, accessible way, the continuities and changes which have shaped (and which will continue to shape) UK foreign policy over a long period of time. The chapter shows how UK governments, Labour and Conservative alike, have wrestled with a series of foreign policy dilemmas relating to the economy, politics and identity, leading to some creative thought about how to construct, implement and justify the UK’s role in the world.

Learning Objectives

• To understand the nature and extent of the UK’s key international relationships.
• To appreciate the key ideas that have shaped UK foreign policy.
• To explain changes in UK foreign policy from the end of the Cold War onwards.

Quizzes

Test your knowledge with the Chapter 2 quizzes!

Quiz

Question 1

Which year marks the end of the Second World War

1945

1934

1952

1944

1932

None

Question 2

Britain finally entered the European Community in which year

1951

1967

1973

2000

1944

None

Question 3

After the First World War, the UK was one of the founders of which international organisation

United Nations

European Union

Council of Ministers

UNISEF

League of Nations

None

Question 4

How many permanent members are there on the United Nations Security Council

2

5

45

20

11

None

Question 5

The UK and the USA led multiple Western nations into signing which treaty

Maastricht Treaty

Geneva Convention

Treaty of Paris

North Atlantic Treaty

Treaty of Rome

None

Question 6

Which famous PM described the UK’s relationship with an integrating Europe as Britain is with Europe

Clement Atlee

Winston Churchill

Harold Wilson

Margaret Thatcher

Anthony Eden

None

Question 7

The president of which country vetoed the UK’s entrance into the EEC in 1963 and 1967

France

Italy

The Netherlands

West Germany

Belgium

None

Question 8

The break-up of the British Empire began the emergence of the of Nations

Question 9

The UK is often described as having a ‘ relationship’ with the USA

Question 10

The UK held a referendum on membership to the European in 1975

Time’s up

Discussion Questions

1. The UK’s relationship with the EU during its formation and founding has been characterised as ‘complicated’. Looking back at key points throughout history (from the 1940s to the Brexit referendum of 2016), how has the UK-EU relationship developed?
2. When we refer to the ‘British Empire’, we could be referring to one of two periods of British imperialism. What were the core differences between the ‘First’ and ‘Second’ British empires? And what was Britian’s intentions during these two different periods of the Empire?

Weblinks

United Nations Official Website – Key information on UK-UN relations, Security Council decisions, and peacekeeping missions. (https://www.un.org)

World Trade Organization (WTO) – Data and reports on UK trade policy, Brexit’s impact on trade, and international economic relations. (https://www.wto.org)

The Wilson Centre – Global Europe Program – Think tank analysing European security, NATO expansion, and UK-US relations. (https://www.wilsoncenter.org/program/global-europe-program)

UK in a Changing Europe – A research group analysing the impact of Brexit on UK-EU relations, foreign policy, and trade. (https://ukandeu.ac.uk)

Centre for European Reform (CER) – Think tank focusing on UK and EU affairs, Brexit consequences, and European security. (https://www.cer.eu)

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) – The official government department responsible for the UK’s foreign affairs, international development, and diplomacy. (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-development-office)

The UK Parliament – Foreign Affairs Committee – Publishes reports and inquiries on UK foreign policy, global security, and Brexit’s impact. (https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/78/foreign-affairs-committee/)

Flashcards

Refresh your knowledge of key terms with this chapter’s flashcards.

Timeline

UK, Europe and the World