Cooperation And Conflict: Study On Anglo-American Nuclear Relations During Eisenhower Administration

The study is attempting to exploit archives from the United States of America and the Great Britain and integrating with certain theory of international relations, aims at discussing Anglo-American nuclear relations based in bilateral angle during Eisenhower administration. At the same time, the study pays attention to the Unites States'NATO nuclear policies and its effects on Anglo-American nuclear relations.Eisenhower administration was the period which the world was experiencing the second nuclear revolution, emerged thermonuclear weapons and missiles. It had important impacts on relations between West and East and between two different camps themselves. Although the Unites States had lost its absolute nuclear monopoly role, she still held nuclear superiority towards the Soviet Union. However, the United States must face all kinds of challenges from the Soviet Union. Especially, the Soviet Union had made great progress in nuclear weapons and missiles technology, which was viewed as a great threat to the United States and West world. In this period, the United States and the Soviet Union had become both offensive and defensive battle each other. The American government remained containment policy unchanged, but some changes in methods and strategies. Eisenhower administration pursued "Nuclear Deterrence" strategy, emphasized nuclear weapons role and functions in military and diplomacy. At the same time, the American government held in esteems the concept of "Collective Defense", strengthened foreign aid and cooperation, attached great importance to allies' contribution in alliance system.According to her nuclear policy towards the Great Britain, Eisenhower administration made a fresh start, she changed the method which Truman government had suspended Anglo-American nuclear cooperation, and strengthened nuclear cooperation with British. In the end, it set up a kind of nuclear alliance between the Unites States and the Great Britain. The United States regarded the Great Britain as an important base towards NATO. During the course of nuclearizing NATO and "Multilateral Force" assumption, the Great Britain's role was emphasized by the United States. The United States installed IRBM on England and attempted to make the Great Britain be a NATO nuclear power in her "Multilateral Force" plan.After the World War II, successive British governments kept a kind of coherence and uniformity in nuclear policy. The British government adhered to a two-way policy:developed her nuclear deterrence power, and simultaneously sought nuclear protection and cooperation from the American government. In Eisenhower administration, the Great Britain had accomplished her goal.The Britain had her nuclear deterrent power, and set up a close nuclear alliance relationship with the United States. Although the Great Britain got a lot from Anglo-American close nuclear alliance, she must face a dilimma that Anglo-American relation closer, more dependent on American nuclear information and technology, especially in missile technology. The United Kingdom government had cancelled her "Blue Streak" missile program and was force to buy "Skybolt" missile from the United States, it was a clear proof. It not only gave rise to national political dabates about independent nuclear deterrent's existence, again; but also suggested her two-way nuclear policy's inner conflict.Finally, the United States and the Great Britain carried out nuclear cooperation and set up a kind of nuclear "interdependence" during Eisenhower administration. The process was full of conflict and dispute, not always trust and consensus. The United States and the Great Britain overcame these difficulities, and formed a kind of stable and effective nuclear "interdependent" relations. Many factors interplayed in the process. The Soviet progess in nuclear weapons and space technology during this period had catalyzed this process, which was worthy of more attention. In nuclear "interdependence" relationship, the United States held a dominant position, while the Great Britain seemed to play a secondary role. It was the relationship of asymmetric between them. However, the Great Britain did not give up building her national nuclear force, which partly counterbalanced her reliance on the United States. Thus, this kind of nuclear reliance belonged to "relative dependence".