From The Anglo-american "special Relationship" To "return To Europe"

World WarⅡcompletely changed the international politics and the world's strategic situation.The strength of the United Kingdom has been seriously weakened.Despite of this, Britain still had considerable force and influence.Churchill proposed the "three-ring diplomacy" concept in accordance with the post-war situation and the reality of the United Kingdom.Wish to take advantage of the remaining impact and contact of the United Kingdom in international relations in order to maintain the status of world power.The "Three-ring diplomacy" was not only the guiding ideology of British post-war foreign policy,but also the basic content of post-war British foreign policy in more than two decades.At a long period of time,the Britain-American special relationship acted the most important role in Britain's foreign policy.Such a relationship based on extensive contacts of the British with the United Kingdom and Western Europe,and the Britain-American special relationship set up in the process of Britain and the United States jointly planned and launched the Cold War which against the Soviet Union and communism.Britain had carry out close cooperation with the United States in economic,security,defense and international organizations.and Britain is the most important partner of the United States in this period,at the same time,Britain maintained as a world power status by virtue of the "special relationship" with the United States.After the mid-50s,the foundation of Anglo-American "special relationship" gradually weakened with the situation changed and the declined in the strength of the United Kingdom. First,Unable to afford the huge international obligations for the decline in the strength,Britain have to implement the strategic contraction;Second,The tendency to independence strengthened in colonial and dominion,the colonial system collapsed,and the cohesion of the Commonwealth weaker and weaker,almost to collapse.Third,The United Kingdom took different positions on questions of integration in Western Europe with France and other continental countries,thus remain outside the European Economic Community,because of this Britain lost the leadership and influence in Western Europe,and isolated in Western Europe gradually;Last,from the mid-and late 60s to early 70s,the relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States changed toward relaxation,major problems can be negotiated directly to a settlement,so the basis of Anglo-American co-operation gradually weakened.The role of the United Kingdom in the United States strategy greatly declined for these reasons,Anglo-American relations between had been cooling down gradually.Especially after the Suez Canal crisis,the conflicts and frictions between the two countries happened frequently, the special relationship has been replaced by the natural relations between the two countries gradually.At the same time,the economic ties between Britain and Western Europe became more and more closely,Western Europe factor in the British economy increased larger and larger,exceeding the UK's economic ties with the Commonwealth,European became more and more important in Britain's benefits.When the Commonwealth collapsed and the special relationship between Britain and the United States weakened,to England,the only way is to become a member of the European Community.On this issue,America who wanted to control Western Europe to counter the Soviet Union through Britain,advocated and supported the United Kingdom to join the European Community actively.In 1973 year,England finally joined the European Community,her diplomatic focus shifted to Europe at last.The focus of the United Kingdom foreign policy shifted to west Europe did not mean the end of the special relationship between Britain and the United States.Because these factors which support this special relationship do not disappear completely,on the contrary,the national psychology and cultural ties between these two countries have great vitality,nor will it disappear in a short time,which determines the special relationship between Britain and the United States long-term existence.On the other hand,Western Europe nor is the focus of diplomatic of the United Kingdom Forever,with the strength of the United Kingdom and the international situation changes,the United Kingdom's diplomatic focus will always be changes. The facts of the diplomatic focus of the United Kingdom returning to the special relationship between Britain and the United States in eighties and after the Cold War proved this point.