Research Of The British Diplomatic Policy Adjustment On The Macmillan Era

Seriously damaged by World War Ⅱ, Britain adopted the 'three circles' policy by Churchill on foreign affairs on the basis of the link of Commonwealth and the special relationship with America at the postwar, aiming to relive the past prestige of the British Empire and endeavor to play a vital role on the world stage. The successive governments all inherited the policy from Churchill and took a passive attitude to the European unity campaign.However, in the late 1950s to the early 1960s, the problems fronting Macmillan were the British economic deterioration, Commonwealth gradually becoming loose and the weakness of the special relationship. The balance among 'three circles' was broken. At the same time, Europe has already developed into a great power. In the new international situation, Macmillan had to re-direct the former diplomatic pattern: withdrawal from Empire and shift towards Western Europe.With the reality of British decline, receiving the realism principle, Macmillan endeavored to seek for a solution for Britain from plight. His efforts had no intention of getting away from the frame of the 'three circles' policy thoroughly. Because 'three circles' did exist and correlated with British benefits, Britain could not give up ' three circles' ,considering the self-interests in particular. When Macmillan tried to change the former diplomacy mode, he still looked after the original interests —safeguarding the Commonwealth interests and rebuilding the special relationship with America. At a result, this factor became the reason that the General De Gaulle opposed to British entry to the EEC.In fact, what British diplomatic pursuit is still to maintain and strengthen a leading role in Europe, preserve Britain' s links with the USA, and resort it to enhance British political position and influence in the world during the past 50 years. Theoretically speaking, the British current diplomacy is still the former 'three circles' policy generalized by Churchill, however, the proportion and contents of 'three circles' have been altered greatly. Britain will neither abandon nor focus on one circle whose diplomacy swing among 'three circles' all along.