Britain's Retreat from East of Suez The Choice between Europe and the World? 1945-1968

by Dockrill, Saki

• ISBN13: 9780333732366
• ISBN10: 0333732367
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-11-02
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan

Summary

This book is the first detailed account of Britain's East of Suez decision, which was taken by the Harold Wilson Government in 1967-68. Contrary to received opinion, the author argues that the decision was not taken hastily as a result of the November 1967 devaluation. Nor is there any hard evidence to support the notion that there existed a "Pound-Defense" deal with the US. Despite Washington's pressure to maintain Britain's East of Suez role, the decision was taken by the Labor Government on the basis of a long-term effort to re-examine Britain's world role since 1959, and it marked the end of an era for postwar Britain.

Author Biography

Saki Dockrill is Lecturer in War Studies, King's College, London.

Table of Contents

Foreword	x
Sir Michael Palliser
Acknowledgements	xii
List of Abbreviations	xiv
Map	xvi
Introduction	1	(7)
Power and Influence, 1945--58	8	(19)
Re-defining Britain's world role, 1945--51	8	(3)
Towards Atlanticism, 1946--49	11	(1)
The militarisation of the Cold War, 1949--51	12	(3)
Britain's New Look in global policy; from Churchill to Eden, 1951--55	15	(7)
The Suez Crisis and Sandys's Defence White Paper, 1956--58	22	(5)
Three Roles, 1959--64	27	(16)
The making of global policy	27	(2)
Nuclear weapons, Anglo--American relations and Europe	29	(3)
Britain's global commitments	32	(4)
The growing dilemma, 1963--64	36	(7)
Labour in Charge: Reassessing Defence Priorities	43	(33)
Harold Wilson's aims and objectives	43	(3)
The Wilson Government in October 1964	46	(3)
Thinking ahead: the Long-Term Study Group	49	(6)
The Chequers meeting, 21--22 November 1964	55	(9)
Anglo--US relations	64	(2)
The Lyndon Johnson Administration looks at Britain	66	(5)
The Washington Summit, 7--8 December 1964	71	(3)
The aftermath	74	(2)
Spreading the Butter Too Thin: Military Capabilities versus Political Commitments	76	(29)
Economy in weaponry: some controversial decisions	77	(3)
The TSR-2 affair until 1 February 1965	80	(6)
The decision to cancel the TSR-2, February--April 1965	86	(5)
Irreducible uncertainty: the TSR-2 affair	91	(4)
The second Chequers defence debate in June 1965	95	(10)
Vietnam, the Pound and Britain's Role East of Suez	105	(17)
`Getting worse everywhere': Vietnam and the world	105	(9)
`The American factor: defence was `their biggest lever'	114	(2)
Britain under American pressure	116	(3)
The nature of the defence--pound linkage	119	(3)
The Decision to Withdraw from Aden and Singapore: The Defence Review, June--December 1965	122	(16)
Cutting commitments	122	(2)
The Mediterranean and the Middle East	124	(3)
The Far East	127	(4)
The `peculiar difficulty' in Britain's future commitments	131	(3)
The Wilson--Johnson meeting in December 1965	134	(4)
The Completion of the Defence Review, January--February 1966	138	(19)
Depleting `East of Suez' weapons systems: aircraft carriers	138	(6)
Depleting `East of Suez' weapons systems: the F111	144	(4)
The shift in Britain's Singapore strategy	148	(3)
Reading between the lines of the Defence White Paper in February 1966	151	(6)
The Choice between Europe and `East of Suez' March--December 1966	157	(21)
The slippery path: spring--summer 1966	157	(5)
Axing the government's overseas expenditure	162	(4)
American psychology	166	(2)
The BAOR affair	168	(4)
The Chequers debates on the new defence ceiling	172	(6)
The Final Verdict: January 1967--January 1968	178	(31)
The Defence Expenditure Studies, January--March 1967	178	(5)
`Taking a leap': Healey's peripheral strategy, March 1967	183	(2)
The Alliance Factor, March--May 1967	185	(5)
A very diplomatic offer: `We would maintain ``a continuing capability for use in the Far East''' (May--June 1967)	190	(3)
The verdict in July 1967	193	(6)
Devaluation in November 1967	199	(3)
Acceleration of the July decisions on 15 January 1968	202	(7)
Conclusion	209	(18)
Notes and References	227	(45)
Select Bibliography	272	(11)
Index	283