On The British Struggle For The Leadership Of Europe 1945-1958

Britain got out of the Second World with great victory. As a traditional world power and the leader power of Europe, Britain continued to play this role and pursue its strategy of leading Europe and controlling the world. But this strategy was constrained by the Bipolar Pattern and appeared to be inadequate. With the decline of its strength, Britain had shrunk back to a European force from a world power. The era of the British leadership of the world had no longer existed, and Europe became the best stage for Britain to play its role and influence. To safeguard its European leadership, Britain made various efforts on the Britain-France Alliance, German Problems, the question of European Defense and European integration. But British efforts got a tremendous challenge from France. The process in which British maintained its leadership of Europe was also a process in which Britain changed its role from a world power to a region power. In the process, Britain was full of painful choices and helplessness, and full of contradictions and conflicts between its great power ideal and historical reality. But British diplomacy restructuring was unsuccessful. Finally, Britain lost its leadership of Europe on the road of European Integration in the crucial moment. This article, which bases on the main line along which Britain maintained its leadership of Europe and takes the perspective of Britain-France relation, studies British postwar diplomatic strategy for the gains and losses.The total paper consists of four chapters:Chapter One: It mainly discussed the Britain's efforts of creating Western European organization which is under the leadership of Britain, and achieving its goal of "third force". At the end of World Warâ…¡, Britain had realized that if it wanted to survive between USSR and USA, Britain must unite France and other Western nations under its leadership. USSR and USA can treat Britain equally only if it is the only spokesman of Europe. So Anthony Eden proposed the idea of establishing the Western Group, and Bevin proposed the thoughts of "The Third Force". But they were unsuccessfully finally.Chapter Two: I discussed the Britain's efforts of struggling for the leadership of German problem. The German problem is the core issues of Europe. The great power which gains the initiative on German problem can gain the initiative in Europe. On one hand, Britain supported French stern policy on Saar in order to make French destroy their goals by themselves. Meanwhile, Britain limited French requires within Saar to prevent the interests of the United Kingdom from harming; On the other hand, Britain forced France to concede with USA. When Britain did a job with skill and ease, France proposed Schuman Plan which gave a sudden impact to British diplomacy and put it in the passive situation.Chapter Three: It expounded in detail how Britain built the European Defense System in which Britain was the leading member. Soon after the Schuman Plan was proposed, the breakout of Korea War put the Western German rearmament on agenda. France was extremely against the rearmament. Britain abandoned its initial counter position and supported American policy of German rearmament. Because of what Britain did, France had to face a difficult dilemma. After weighing the pros and cons, France proposed the Pleven Plan which aimed to expand German rearmament to European rearmament. But this plan was rejected by France ultimately. French decision made European defense into crisis. In this situation, Britain took the opportunity to propose the plan of Western European Union, and incorporated Western Europe into a British-dominated defense organization. Finally, Britain successfully resolved its diplomatic predicament since the "Schuman Plan" was proposed, and Western Europe was once again into the British track of development.Chapter Four: This part mainly discussed the helpless practice of Britain. When it couldn't control the direction of European Integration, it tried to maintain its leadership of Europe by refusing joining European Integration. The success of Western Union enhanced British confidence, and it appeared that Europe would achieve nothing without Britain. After the failure of European Defense Community, the six European nations restart the process of European Integration in Messina. Britain completely ignored what the six nations did and believed that the only thing what it must do was to join in the conference. Thus, Britain could guide the six nations back to the British proposal of inter-governmental cooperation. But Britain underestimated the determination of the six nations. With the failure of controlling the direction of six nations, Britain firmly rejected the European Integration and established the Free Trade Area to oppose six nations. This provided opportunities for France to rebuild its leadership of Europe. After Charles de Gaulle came to power again, he changed his German policy, and did a lot of efforts to build the French-led Franco-German Axis. Britain had no alternative but to abandon the leadership of Europe.Finally, the conclusion analyzed the British struggle for the leadership of the Europe on strategic level. This paper's view: Diplomacy of equilibrium under the guidance of narrow realism (viz. pragmatism) led to the loss of British leadership after World Warâ…¡. Although Britain had made a series of diplomatic adjustments under the guidance of realism, but the theory of diplomacy of equilibrium based on the great power sense and the conflict between France and Germany always influence the British decision makers. When the British strength declined, Franco-German reconciliation became true, and the base of diplomacy of equilibrium didn't exist any longer, Britain didn't fundamentally change its policy, and ultimately had to withdraw from the leadership of the European arena.