The Study On Britain's European Policy (1948-1954)

Britain's European Policy(1948-1954)was to reconstruct the balance of power in Europe by making use of US's strength to restrict the former Soviet Union;Britain fully supported North Atlantic Treaty Organization and took it as the guarantee of Europe's safety;On the union of West Europe, Britain adhered to the principle of cooperation among governments and opposed the supranational integration, so as to strengthen Britain's leading position in Europe and maintain its freedom of movement.This article consists of six parts. The first chapter introduces the origin of Britain's European Policy (1948-1954) and analyzes the realistic foundation of this policy in the specific age. The second chapter expounds how Britain brings West Europe into US's security system, and in this way makes USA bear the responsibility for European safety and defense, so as to make use of US's strength to resist the former Soviet Union. And by all these means, it made a crucial step to the reconstruction of balance of power in Europe. The third chapter compares federalism , confederalism with functionalism and analyzes British support for the cooperation between governments. The fourth and fifth chapters comment on Britain's policy and attitude towards theinitial try of the European integration------the European Coal and Steel Treaty Organization andthe European Defense Community. For the European Coal and Steel Treaty Organization, British policies are restrained by refusing an European supranational institution;For the Plevenplan , the development of British policies are restrained by two major factors: the urgency to rearm WestGermany under the heavy pressure of America and its framework------the structure of AtlanticAlliance or an European supranational institution. The sixth chapter analyzes Britain's European Policy and puts forward the views of this article: from 1948 to 1954, what had been affecting Britain's European Policy was conservatism, rather than isolationism;As for the European integration, Britain did not miss anything indeed.