Foreign Affairs

The main topics concerning the international British policy are:

British relations with the U.S.A.

The Commonwealth

The European Union

The Irish question

The beginning of the twentieth century testifies the decline of the British colonial Empire.

Canada and Australia gained independence.

Other countries in Africa and Asia wanted to be decolonized at the end of the II World War.

The rise of the Cold War, moreover, drastically reduced the worldwide importance of the U.K.

Great Britain felt the urgency to reinvent a new identity

Great Britain, Nowdays

Today’s Britain is still economically a global power.

Its major interests are about maintaining steady economic and political status.

International British policy emphasizes the importance of diplomatic actions, but it also took some unilateral actions, e.g. Falklands War in 1982.

Great Britain is a NATO member.

The Commonwealth

The British empire turned into the British Commonwealth in 1931 when most former English colonies declared their independence.

It is made of 54 independent member states.

A British cultural heritage is still evident in the majority of these countries .

English as a common language.

The British monarch has an important symbolic function.

There is a Commonwealth Secretariat in London.

Nowadays supporters believe that the Commonwealth should be more concrete.

Others think that its future existence is in doubt due to the Britons’ preference for the E.U.

The European Union

In 1975 the positive result of a Referendum authorized by a Labour government let Great Britain become part of the EC (European Community) after being already a member state of the EEC (European Economic Community).

With the Maastricht Treaty it became the EU (The European Union): European currency, European Bank and defence.

It currently consists of 27 member states with a potential future growth.

The main institution is the European Council.

Pro/anti-European political parties.

British perception of the EU according to some surveys.

Young generations and the concept of Europeanism.

Ireland

Since the 12th century Ireland has been subdued by the Britons.

Through the centuries there were many conflicts.

The situation got worse when Ireland refused in the 16th century to accept a Protestant government.

Both Oliver Cromwell and William of Orange suppressed rebellions.

Potato famine in the 19° century

An enormous emigration was the most appalling consequence.

The people who stayed demanded more autonomy.

Home rule for Ireland was finally granted in 1921/22 when Ireland was divided in two parts.

Conflicts between Catholics and Protestants.

1968 a very violent period.

The Irish Republican Army (IRA)