The United Kingdom’s approach to the European integration after the Second World War till 1973: attempts to build cooperation on special terms

The United Kingdom’s approach to the European integration after the Second World War till 1973: attempts to build cooperation on special terms.

Valentina Shabalova

Abstract.

This study is organized as follows: (1), it describes the attitude of the UK towards first post-war analogues of European integration, (2), it reviews the attempt of the UK to create its own regional organization – EFTA, (3), then it analyses the obstacles met during the process of accession to the European Communities. Finally (4), it focuses on the opposition to the European integration inside the UK.

This study was designed to reveal the approach of Great Britain to cooperation with the European countries at the initial stages of regional integration development. It reflects upon the role played by the UK in the development of integration in this region. It tries to analyze the problems which occurred during the process of accession to the European communities. It also explains why this process was so protracted and, hence, significant for the future development of regional integration.

Chronological framework: from the end of the Second World War in 1945 to the accession of Great Britain to the European Economic Community in 1973.

Introduction.

The European Union (EU) is a regional integration that emerged in Europe as a result of the signing of the Treaty on the European Union in 1991 in Maastricht, the Netherlands, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty. There is no doubt that this organization, which nowadays includes 27 European states, is a significant actor in the modern system of international relations.

Great Britain, previously being a significant member of the European Union, has made a huge contribution to the foundation and development of this integration. Nevertheless, relations between the UK and the EU have been difficult and tense throughout the decades of EU existence. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify particularly how these relations had been developing at the initial stages of the European integration and, subsequently, to determine what factors were fundamental for the formation of such complex Anglo-European relations.

This issue has a considerable relevance, since the UK has recently withdrawn from the EU, and the reasons of this process stem from the very origins of the European integration.

The formation of the European organisations and the UK’s participation.

In the second half of the XX century an issue of creating a regional integration in Western Europe was on the agenda not only in the European continent, but also in the American one. The just-ended Second World War was quite a challenging experience for the whole world, but namely Europeans. The need to preserve peace, to prevent further conflicts, to consolidate the population, to overcome economic devastation, and withstand at least some influence in the global arena has given the strong impetus towards the creation of a European community.

Among various researchers it is widely believed that Great Britain was completely not interested in the integration processes in Europe and was in no hurry to participate in them. According to them, the only thing the United Kingdom had ever been interested in was the preservation of the global and unique role of its state.

Of course, these statements are by no means unfounded, but it is a mistake to assume that they are absolute. The British also saw a certain benefit in the creation of the European countries’ union and, subsequently, made a huge contribution to the cohesion of Europe.

A prominent role in determination of the foreign policy of the kingdom at that time was played by Prime Minister W. Churchill, and there is no doubt he was the one to support the idea of ​​creating an economic and political union of European countries. In his speech at the University of Zurich on September 19, 1946, he declared: “... We must build a kind of United States of Europe. In this way only will hundreds of millions of toilers be able to regain the simple joys and hopes which make life worth living ...”.^[1] In the same speech, Churchill argues that attempts to create such an alliance have already been made, citing the League of Nations as an example. Even though the League of Nations did not justify itself, in Churchill's opinion, this was not a stimulus for a complete refusal from the idea of a new integration, since the League of Nations collapsed not because of the wrong principles that were incorporated into it, but because these principles were not adhered by all the participating countries.

In May 1949 was officially formed the Council of Europe, which in general framework was very similar to the project outlined by Churchill in his speech. More importantly, the United Kingdom, along with other European countries, joined this union and even was its active founder.

The Council of Europe was founded to:

• Defend human rights, parliamentary democracy and the rule of law;
• Develop continent-wide agreements to standardize member countries’ social and legal practices;
• Promote awareness of a European identity based on shared values and cutting across different cultures.^[2]

Nevertheless, despite the declared ambitions of Great Britain to cooperate, the following historical events showed a completely different approach of Britons, what shall shed a light on the development of the critical assumption about Great Britain having little or absolutely no interest in the European common policy.

In April 1951, the group of so-called “Six” - Germany, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy - signed in Paris the agreement on the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), which placed coal mining and steel production in these states under international control.^[3] The establishment of cooperation began exactly as Mr. Churchill announced in his speech, namely, with the establishment of a partnership between France and Germany according to the Schumann plan.^[4] “The first step in the re-creation of the European family must be a partnership between France and Germany. In this way only can France recover the moral and cultural leadership of Europe. There can be no revival of Europe without a spiritually great France and a spiritually great Germany,” he declared.^[5] Nevertheless, the UK refused to become a part of this cooperation. The Labour Government of Clement Attlee was invited to take part but officially declined the offer. And there were some specific reasons for this.