| On March 4th 1947, Great Britain concluded the treaty of Anglo-French Alliance and Mutual Asistance, namely the Treaty of Dunkirk, with France in Dunkirk. This marked Britain revised her traditional policy that she didn't undertake the obligation in peacetime in the Continent , the treaty is of great importance in the history of British diplomacy after the Second World War . This thesis discusses the origins of the Treaty of Dunkirk and the changing conditions of British foreign policy in this period . The author attempts to evaluate British strategic intentions of the Treaty of Dunkirk.The thesis consists of four chapters:Chapter one expounds upon that in the later period of World War II British consideration of European security order after the war, the advancing of Anglo-French treaty of Alliance and the Alliance's obstruction. In the Summer of 1944 , Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden advanced the idea of Western Association . He maintained Western Group that was leaded by Great Britain and based upon Anglo-French Alliance, would be set up after the second world war, and it's purpose was to share British burden to contain Germany and elevate British influence in the world . However Prime Minister Winston Churchill didn't approve of Western Alliance , he thought that a weak Western Europe didn't offer advantage to Great Britain but only became British heavy burden . Churchill regarded Anglo-American special relations as importance and hoped that British Great-Power status could be maintained with the help of the United States, but Churchill agreed to ally with France . Churchill thought that restoring France was so important that it would contain Germany and balance the Soviet Union's superiority . However as a result of De Gaulle's obstruction, Anglo-French alliance didn't make progress when Churchill left office.Chapter two details the background and effecting of the "Grand Design" Ernest Bevin brought up after he assumed Foreign Secretary, whose content is to establish Western Alliance based on Anglo-French cooperation. Bevin's design's object is to restore British Empire's economy and establish "the Third Force" that Britain was independent of the United States and the Soviet Union with the help of Western Alliance . However because of the Soviet Union's violently attack to the Western Group, in view of the principle that the Big Three should cooperate with each other after the second world war, Bevin declared he solely pursued Anglo-French alliance to contain Germany. In fact Bevin still maintained Western Association, which only went underground for fear that it would stimulate the Soviet Union. At the beginning of 1946, Bevin tackled Anglo-French conflict on Levant, however the divergence on settling Ruhr still seriously hindered the concluding of treaty of Anglo-French alliance.Chapter three dwells on that with the development of situation, British strategicintention's change of Anglo-French alliance and its reasons and expressions. In late1945 and early 1946 a series of acts of the Soviet Union deepened the Foreign Office's suspicion . since early 1946 the Foreign Office began to analyse and discuss the Soviet Union's intentions and her long-term policy after the Second World War, and then out of carrying out the policy of balance of power, to some extent Great Britain enhanced the balance to the Soviet Union.In January 1946, De Gaulle's resignation brought about important influence to British foreign policy. Bevin thought France couldn't act as a great power role any more, hence the purpose of Anglo-French alliance changed from important basis of western association to a measure to support French pro-western force, and it would safeguard liberal system and keep European balance of power. Owing to British occupied area's increasingly hard economy and Germany key position, since March1946 British diplomacy focus shifted from France to Germany. At the greater part time of 1946 on the one hand Great Britain invest large amount of money in British occupied area to maintain people of... |
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