Seeking The Détente: Britain And The Second Berlin Crisis (1958-1961)

The Second Berlin Crisis (1958-1963) was one of the Cold War climaxes between the East and the West in the Europe. The eruption, development and end of the Second Berlin Crisis had great influence on the relation of East-West and the Cold War. In the crisis, the United Kingdom, as an important participant, was aware of the danger of war, meanwhile saw the opportunity of using the crisis to achieve the detente between the East and the West. With the opportunity, Macmillan Government improved the policy of detente toward the Soviet Union, and used of existing special relationship, actively coordinating allies to promote the process of negotiations with the Soviet Union.After the eruption of the Second Berlin Crisis, around the issue of how to deal with the crisis, western allies had serious differences and the fierce struggle. According to their own actual interests, Britain opposed the United States'program response to the crisis, which was based on the Cold War mentality, and advocated a peaceful and negotiated mean to solve the crisis, and even used the way of compromise. In response to the question that the Soviet Union would hand over management of the Berlin Corridor to East Germany in the future. Britain believed that the allies should first negotiate with East Germany actively. If it failed, they could carry out airlift. Finally, they also could use the way of organizing the East Germany government to exchange the peaceful settlement of the crisis, firmly opposing U.S. military's plan of the limited use of force. In the process of allies coordinating the policy toward the Soviet Union, British policy had been strongly resisted by West Germany, but had an impact on the U.S. policy, the idea of negotiations with the Soviet Union beginning to be introduced to the new U.S. policy on Berlin.After Mikoyan visited the United state, Britain judged that the Soviet Union was willing to negotiation with the Western allies on the Berlin problem and European security. But Macmillan believed that only having a constructive and concessive solution could make the negotiations between allies and the Soviet Unions have some results. Under his guidance,the British Foreign Office, on the basis of the policy toward the Soviet Union which was made in 1958, further improved the policy, and put forward specific policy and program of action of detente toward the Soviet Union. March 1959, Macmillan took a substantial step about detente towards the Soviet Union--visiting the Soviet Union. After knowing that the Soviet Union was willing to negotiate on the West Berlin problem, the German question and European security, Macmillan had visited France, West Germany and the United States, and further persuaded the allies to reached the position of negotiating with the Soviet Union. Although Western countries had differences on the plan of solving specific problems, finally they agreed to negotiate with the Soviet Union at the Foreign Minister-level.Although Macmillan believed that Western allies only through the way to the summit meeting with the Soviet Union could reach an agreement on related issues, the U.S. had always insisted that meeting of foreign ministers making some progress was the premise of the summit meeting. To achieve the conditions, in the Western foreign ministers meeting which was prior to the Geneva Conference, the United Kingdom had persuaded the allies, and hoped for increasing the possibilities of the Soviet Union reaching the agreement. May to August in 1959. East-West foreign ministers meeting was hold in Geneva. During this period, the British once again played the role of coordinator between the allies and the Soviet Union, urging both sides to gradually close on the negotiating position. Although the foreign ministers meeting in Geneva had no substantive results, which opened the relaxed atmosphere and indirectly promoted the subsequent US-Soviet talks at Camp David and Summit of the East and West. Unfortunately, the U-2 plane incident broke the international atmosphere which had been relaxed temporarily, and leaded the Paris summit abortion.After the failure of the Paris summit, Khrushchev claimed that he would discuss the Berlin problem with the new U.S. government. So in the last few months of 1961, the Berlin situation was relatively quiet, but the crisis had not disappeared. To tackle the Khrushchev's likely new offensive on Berlin in 1961, Britain made a new Berlin Policy. This policy continued to advocate the idea of negotiating with the Soviet Union, but to some extent, it had appeared some passive and conservative tendencies. With the eruption of Berlin Wall Crisis in August 1961 and the establishment of the Kennedy Government's policy of negotiating with the Soviet Union, the British once again show its initiative on the Berlin policy. In addition to taking measures to prevent the deterioration of the crisis situation, Britain also actively supported the Kennedy Administration carried out the "exploratory" talks with the Soviet Union, which would promote the subsequent negotiations between the Allies and the Soviet Union. Although the "exploratory" talks which Britain and the U.S. actively advocated was no substantial outcome, thanks this kind of continued communication, the Berlin situation indeed become relaxed again.In the process of the crisis. Britain had always regarded the solution to the problem of Berlin as an opportunity of achieving the European security and their own interests, which advocated using peaceful means and negotiations to achieve the compromise and detente with the Soviet Union. With a special relationship with the United States, Britain had a positive persuasion and mediation between the Allies and the Soviet Union, which had an impact on formulation of the allies'policy and strengthened the Anglo-American relations. To some extent, it also improved the United Kingdom's international status and had achieved the detente of the Second Berlin Crisis effectively. But the British also paid the price for its policy and actions, which deteriorated of its relations with West Germany and accelerated approach between France and Germany. Finally, they created obstacles for joining the European Community.