From The Western European Union To The North Atlantic Alliance

At the end of the World War II, with the defeat of Nazi Germany, the problem of rebuilding Europe order came to agenda. The British Foreign Office began to consider the suggestion of establishing a Western Europe Group (or West Europe Union) to prevent German regression in the postwar period. Later, Anglo-Soviet relation deteriorated, so another objective of the Western Europe Group, containing Soviet continuous penetrating into Europe, arised. Since the worry about Soviet menace was increasing, some British politicians even advanced that the latter should be the main purpose of the Western Europe Group. But before July 1945, "Western Europe Group" was only a word in discussion and nothing was done in practice, because the Prime Minister, Churchill, objected the suggestion strongly and Anglo-France relationship was bad and so on.After the Labour Party took office, the new Foreign Minister, Ernest Bevin, regarded a Western Europe Union as a strategic objection. In his vision, one Western Europe Union was a comprehensive concept which involved not only defence but also economic and political coordination of Western Europe countries. Bevin especially stressed economic cooperation and hoped a Western Europe Union would help to resolve British economic predicament, for British increasing economic crisis and the emergence of Anglo-American conflict He tried to ameliorate the Anglo-French relation, which was the footstpne of the Western Europe cooperation. But before 1946, no evident effect was received. Nevertheless, Anglo-French relation turned for the better because of French initiative at the beginning of 1947. The bipartite consultation proceeded smoothly and The Dunkirk Treaty was signed on 4 March 1947. Bevin assumed to conclude similar bipartite treaties with other Western Europe countries, then, Great Britain, which would be the core of the Group, could become the leader of Western Europe.But situations changed soon: The economic crisis of early months in 1947 made the weak economy of Britain even worse; The Cold War atmosphere was increasing rapidly since June 1947, when the "Marshall Plan" was brought forward, and the breakdown of Foreign Ministers Conference in London in December 1947 undermined the East-West relation seriously; the Czechoslovakia Coup in February 1948 immediately caused the signature of Brussels Treaty whose aim was against Soviet. During this period, British foreign strategy took a turn, Bevin was forced to give up the vision of "the third force", which meant one group between two Superpowers, and turned his focus from west Europe to the other bank of the Atlantic Ocean. The signature of Brussels Treaty revealed the transition and the Pentagon Talks was an evident symbol of the transition.After that, British foreign activities centered round promoting some kind of Atlantic pact. During nearly one year's negotiation about establishing the Atlantic Union, Britain acted as a very important role. She initiated the negotiation and her strong desire and positive attitude made the negotiation well proceeded. Though the United States dominated the whole negotiation and brought the Atlantic Union to her strategk orbit, from the point of view of Britain, she made a great success to achieve her new foreign strategic aim to involve the United States into Western Europe defence affairs.