AngloAmerican relations myth or reality current affairs AngloAmerican

Anglo-American relations : myth or reality ?

current affairs. . . Anglo-American relations: • dominated by intervention in Iraq • Blair-Bush • defence and intelligence • the "longue durée" • "special relationship? "

kinds of relationship. . . relations at different levels • between populations • between élites (esp foreign policy) • between President and PM

common values? • language • political system: liberal democracy and the rule of law • common history. . .

history • "difficult" beginnings • an emerging regional power with a vestigial Empire • 20 th century: "cross over" • WW 2 • Cold War • Whatever next?

entre peuples • • blood links? WASPs Irish, . . . current trends

between élites • what period in history?

between heads of State and government • Pres/PM "couples" • difficulties "ménages à trois" : US, UK, EU and above all perhaps US, UK, France

couples. . . Churchill and Roosevelt

couples. . . • Eden and Eisenhower (see Suez. . . ) • Macmillan and Eisenhower (had worked together during the war. . . )

couples. . . • Mac and Jack

couples. . . Wilson and LBJ

couples. . . Wilson and Nixon

couples. . . Heath and Nixon

couples. . . Thatcher and Reagan (© US government)

couples. . . Major and Clinton: investigations of Clinton's past in Oxford. . .

couples. . . Blair and Clinton

couples. . . Blair and Bush

Thatcher and the Europeans

The existence of personal relations between Presidents and Prime Ministers-do these "couples"make the slightest difference ? To have an influence, do you have to pay the "blood price"?

Is the approach adopted by France (and particularly General de Gaulle) not more effective in the end ?

disymmetric? . . . • of course it's uneven, imbalanced, lopsided a few images : • 51 st State • "Airstrip 1" • "unsinkable aircraft carrier"

dissymetrical? . . . • "poodle"? • client State? • satellite?

dissymetrical?

dissymetrical. . .

common values? • language (Toqueville, GB Shaw, . . . ) • shared history?

common history • • EU born out of a ferocious war 1812 -14. White House burnt! Tensions 19 th century "cross-over" 20 th century (19 th the "British century". Tensions (Navy)) • 1900 UK no 1, 2000 USA no 1 • fist successful transfer of power without war

common history • turning points: 20 th century wars, especially World War 2. • "Great Alliance" US/UK. . . • tensions over Empire

common history • destroyers/bases • Atlantic Charter • lend lease "the most unselfish act in history"?

common history • After Pearl Harbor, nuclear cooperation, intelligence, "combined chiefs of staff" • Very close connections • Then tensions: "conferences". Suspension lend-lease, "American loan", failure to respect nuclear cooperation agreements

history "Big two-and-a-half"?

history • Cold war (iron curtain 5 March 1946): community of interest, except trade? • (but UK remain biggest investor in US, and US biggest investor in UK. . . ) • U. S. investment in the United Kingdom reached $255. 4 billion in 2002, while U. K. direct investment in the U. S. totaled $283. 3 billion. (state. gov) • Greeks and Romans. . . • NATO

history • Korea. . . but Suez in 1956

history • Europe. . . • Cuban missile crisis 62 • Skybolt / Polaris 62

January 1963: de Gaulle declared his hostility towards the British application (Rambouillet: "ne pleurez pas, Milord, . . . ")

history • Laos, Vietnam • Watergate

history • Falklands / Malvinas 1982 • Granada 1983 • Libya 1986 • but Moscow Olympic games, gas pipeline (see buses for Cuba in 60 s)

history • Balkans • Ireland • Kuwait/Iraq (1)

history • Clinton / Major : got off to a bad start. . . • Blair / Clinton: close on policy and style. . . but. . . Kosovo, . . . • Blair / Bush

history "ménage à trois" : UK, Europe and the "grand large"*. . . Bridge? New Europe, old Europe?

history * Churchill to de Gaulle (1944): « Sachez-le, général ! Chaque fois qu'il nous faudra choisir entre l'Europe et le grand large, nous serons toujours pour le grand large. Chaque fois qu'il me faudra choisir entre vous et Roosevelt, je choisirai Roosevelt »

history de Gaulle's "vétos" : Trojan horse for the United States? Cock and hens. . . Too close? Did Pompidou get it wrong?

history • • 9/11 Afghanistan Iraq Blair speech Washington September 2001: parallel WW 2. Emotional appeal, but historically inaccurate. . .

histoire "My father's generation went through the experience of the Second World War when Britain was under attack during the days of the Blitz, and then there was one nation and one people that above all stood side by side with us at that time. That nation was America, and those people were the American people. "

history • and now? • is the end?

Today. . . Bush-Blair contested. . . but Blair will soon stand down probably in favour of Gordon Brown if Iraq returns to peace if Iran agrees to yield to international pressure if North Korea abandons its arms programme

Today. . . The lessons of history? Iran and Iraq. . .

The End? michael. parsons@univ-pau. fr