Britain And The United States During The Marshall Plan For European Integration Policy

After World Warâ…¡, Although America was a non-European country, it had lots of national interests. From the sense of global strategy, to contain USSR, to seek worldwide hegemony, formulated the Marshall Plan to reconstruct Europe. In the meantime, America brought up the thought of"European Integration"officially and pointed out a way for the reconstruction and development of Europe. In the time of carrying out the Marshall Plan, America also gave an impetus to construct all kinds of economic cooperation organization and supported the military collaboration of European countries. What America had done strengthened the relations of Western European countries. In the thought of American, the Marshall Plan is an organization that contained collaborative, economic and political power, with a brand of"American team spirit".Under the background of the Marshall Plan, as a powerful European country, UK was an important element, not only in the whole European national relations, but also in the process of European Integration. The policy pointing to Europe was a part of whole foreign policy of UK after World Warâ…¡, in which the standpoint and the attitude to European Integration was the core. But in the time of carrying out the Marshall Plan, UK, as the most important ally of America, proceeded in opposite direction on the European Integration. Form the consideration of the national interest, UK always take a obscure point and maintained a lukewarm relationship with other European nations. On the one hand, on the policy of European Integration, especially the aspect of economy, UK gave tit for tat to America and showed a opposing attitude intentionally. On the other hand, on the policy of European military Integration, UK showed deep interest, collaborated with America enthusiastically. Under the lead of America, UK played a positive role in the process of military integration. Both UK and America pulled together to give an impetus to the development of European military Integration.From the analysis of former contents, in the time of carrying out the Marshall Plan, on the economic aspect, UK was an obstruction, which was called"a sand grain in an oyster", while America was a pulling force, which was called"the fuel in a rocket". But on the military aspect, UK was a pulling force, while America showed as a thrust; both the nations endeavored in the process of European military Integration. America advocated the European Integration just as in the past, while UK took a contradictory attitude on the economic and military aspect, all of which had profound reason. What the two nations had done reflects that national interest was the starting point when one country draws up its foreign policy. National interest is higher than anything, which is the fundamental cause and essential basis and determines one country how to adjust its foreign policy. Also in the time of carrying out the Marshall Plan, UK and America conflicted on the economic aspect and cooperated on the military aspect, which explained the exceptional relations of the countries adequately. Here we can use the theory of independence to analysis the situation.