British Policy towards France, 1945–51

British Policy towards France, 1945–51
Author: Roger Woodhouse
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 192
Release: 1996-02-12
Genre: History
ISBN: 1349243000

An account based on British archival sources of the search for a co-ordinated Anglo-French programme of economic recovery which would define the shape of postwar Europe. The pursuit of this goal is traced against the background of the Cold War, the provision of American economic aid and the revival of German industry. It is demonstrated how the emergence of these factors led France to turn instead to European integration on the model of the Schuman Plan.

British Policy Towards France, 1945-51

British Policy Towards France, 1945-51
Author: Roger Woodhouse
Publisher: Macmillan Pub Limited
Total Pages: 181
Release: 1995-01-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780333637371

With the Allied victory in 1945 came a determination to find a new way of conducting relations between the European states based on trust and cooperation. Two nations in particular had the prestige and moral authority to give a lead which others would follow. Britain and France had kept faith with each other through the dark years of the war. Now they faced together the challenge of building a brighter future. As new governments in both countries embraced the principle of economic planning there were hopes that a united Europe might develop naturally from a co-ordinated Anglo-French programme of post-war recovery. Complications arose as the reviving industrial heartlands of defeated Germany found a key role in the Western half of a world divided by the Cold War. How the paths of Britain and France diverged and a different kind of Europe was born is the subject of this book.

Britain, France and Europe, 1945-1975

Britain, France and Europe, 1945-1975
Author: Anthony Adamthwaite
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 267
Release: 2020-05-28
Genre: History
ISBN: 1441129170

Britain, France and Europe, 1945-1975 takes a fresh look at the international trajectories of Europe's premier democracies. The side-lining of Britain and France in the Cold War era, argues Adamthwaite, was preventable. A Franco-British Europe came within a whisker of realization. Condemning President Charles de Gaulle as an intransigent gatekeeper created a convenient alibi for self-inflicted missteps. UK bids for European Community membership ignored the elephant in the room - the need for partnership in a superpower age. A marriage powering the Community could have repositioned Western Europe as partner, not client of the United States. Although perceived as a failing power, France outperformed Britain - seizing the initiative in European construction, and winning primacy in western Europe. As well as exploring sharply contrasting national experiences in the aftermath of war, the author analyses the reasons for French success. The analysis evaluates key influences: the mental maps of decision makers; leadership styles; the post-1945 international system; policy making machinery; the 'democratic deficit' in British and French politics; and public opinion. Drawing on American, British and French official records, together with private papers and interviews, this enlightening study highlights the importance of contingency and individual actors, and will be of great interest to scholars of modern European history.

The Schuman Plan and the British Abdication of Leadership in Europe

The Schuman Plan and the British Abdication of Leadership in Europe
Author: Edmund Dell
Publisher:
Total Pages: 352
Release: 1995
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780198289678

Edmund Dell examines the Attlee government's rejection of the Schuman Plan for the establishment of a common market for coal and steel and reassesses Bevan's conduct as foreign secretary. The story is placed in the context of the "big questions" dominating British policy formation: security, the dollar shortage, the American attack on the sterling area, and pressure for European integration.

British Labour and the Cold War

British Labour and the Cold War
Author: Peter Weiler
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Total Pages: 456
Release: 1988
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780804714648

A critical examination of the labour government and trades Union Congress in the immediate postwar period, this book argues that the Cold War was not just a traditional conflict between states but also an attempt to contain the growth of radical working-class movements at home and abroad. These radical movements, stimulated by the Second World War and its aftermath, seemed to policymakers within the Labour Party and the TUC to threaten British interests. The author contends that the Labour government never seriously considered following a socialist foreign policy, but instead sought to shape political developments throughout the world in ways most conductive to maintaining Britain's traditional economic and imperial interests. The government was able to follow established policies abroad and increasingly at home at least in part because British trade union leaders supported its attempts to prevent radicals and communists from coming to power in trade union movements inside Britain and throughout the world. In so doing, the trade union movement significantly extended its links with the state, in particular by cooperating with it in the sphere of foreign and colonial labour policy.

Britain, France and the Decolonization of Africa

Britain, France and the Decolonization of Africa
Author: Andrew W.M. Smith
Publisher: UCL Press
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2017-03-01
Genre: History
ISBN: 1911307746

Looking at decolonization in the conditional tense, this volume teases out the complex and uncertain ends of British and French empire in Africa during the period of ‘late colonial shift’ after 1945. Rather than view decolonization as an inevitable process, the contributors together explore the crucial historical moments in which change was negotiated, compromises were made, and debates were staged. Three core themes guide the analysis: development, contingency and entanglement. The chapters consider the ways in which decolonization was governed and moderated by concerns about development and profit. A complementary focus on contingency allows deeper consideration of how colonial powers planned for ‘colonial futures’, and how divergent voices greeted the end of empire. Thinking about entanglements likewise stresses both the connections that existed between the British and French empires in Africa, and those that endured beyond the formal transfer of power.

Reluctant Europeans

Reluctant Europeans
Author: David Gowland
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 404
Release: 2014-09-25
Genre: History
ISBN: 1317878604

During the past fifty years few issues in British politics have generated such heated controversy as Britain's approach to European integration. Why has Europe had such an explosive impact on British politics? What impelled British policymakers to embrace a European destiny and why did they take such a cautious approach? These are some of the key issues addressed inThe Reluctant Europeans. This new study draws upon recently available source material providing a clear chronological account and covering events right up to Blair's first year in office and the launch of the Euro.

Electricity and Energy Policy in Britain, France and the United States Since 1945

Electricity and Energy Policy in Britain, France and the United States Since 1945
Author: Martin Chick
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Total Pages: 217
Release: 2007-01-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1847206891

. . . it s a valuable and laudable work. . . I found it interesting and helpful to have an account of the parallel developments in the other two countries. . . An analysis of important aspects of British and French energy policy development based on primary sources is a worthwhile contribution. A broad comparative synthesis of energy policy in the three countries is also a worthwhile contribution. John Neufeld, EH.NET The main objective of this very interesting book is to analyse from economic history and political economy perspectives the similarities and differences in the forms that the electricity sector has been organized and the ways that energy policy has developed in Britain, France, and the US. The book s organization and the clarity of the writing make for a highly rewarding read. . . Chick has dedicated many years to studying the electricity sector, and this book demonstrates his mastery of this complex industry. . . Chick s book will be of decided interest to energy specialists, but it will also appeal to a broader readership including economic historians, political economists, and other social scientists who wish to understand the crucial role that energy has played in international politics, economic growth, and human welfare during the period since the Second World War. Judith Clifton, The Economic History Review Chick s superb study of this crucial sector goes right to the heart of a number of problems associated with markets and government, casting light on each. It also sheds light in unexpected areas, and in particular on the history of economic thought. Above all, this volume succeeds admirably in fusing the best techniques of business and economic history to show why history matters for present-day policy. Roger Middleton, Business History This history of the post-WWII electricity supply industry in France, Great Britain and the US is well researched and well written. . . The author draws on newly available archival material to develop a sophisticated, deeply informed portrayal of the evolutionary process in each nation. . . This well-crafted industrial history should be of interest to practitioners and policy makers as well as students and scholars. Highly recommended. R.C. Singleton, Choice Nationalisation, regulation, privatisation: beyond polemics, history lessons by Martin Chick. Alain Beltran, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne, France International economic history is not just concerned with flows of capital and goods. It involves comparisons of the economic policy and organisation of specific economic sectors. In this excellent book, Martin Chick examines energy policy issues, policy formation, policy makers and their advisers, in USA, France and Britain, drawing on original archive sources. He brings out the importance of strategic issues, including security, in the switch from coal to oil and natural gas, the European debate on coal and steel, pricing in electricity supply and finally privatisation and liberalisation of markets. It is a fine exercise in political economy and will appeal to scholars and students of politics as well as of history, economics and business studies. Robert Millward, University of Manchester, UK Analyzing the work of economic theorists and policy practitioners from the 1840s to the present, this sophisticated historical account helps scholars understand better the profound obstacles to making successful energy policy today. In particular, the cross-national study highlights the primacy of social, political, and historical forces over rational economic theory, demonstrating that energy policy making has never been (and will likely never become) a pure science based on cherished academic principles such as marginal-cost pricing. Richard Hirsh, Consortium on Energy Restructuring, Virginia Tech, US Martin Chick s overview of the formation and implementation of energy policy in three countries since 1945 is a remarkable achievement. Writing clearly, confidently a

British Establishment Perspectives on France, 1936–40

British Establishment Perspectives on France, 1936–40
Author: Michael L. Dockrill
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 223
Release: 1999-04-12
Genre: History
ISBN: 1349273082

This book analyses British official reactions to the apparent decline of France, politically, socially and economically, in the three years before the outbreak of war in Europe. The book is based on public and private archival sources and on the memoirs and biographies of leading British figures and describes the British Government's efforts to cope with the desperate strategic situation created by its own military weakness and the malaise of the Third Republic, its own potential great power ally in a war with the Axis powers.