British-European Relations

British-European Relations

A compex Relationship

The Relationship between Britain and the view on Europe is rather complex, than beeing onesided. The Britains love to visit the european countrys, eat their food and enjoy their culture. Also many Brits moved there to live. So why did the british citizen voted to leave the EU and why is their view on the EU not so positive as is might seems? To answer this question we have to consider their hystory together, Britains special mentalities and the problems the Brits had with the EU, EEC and EC in their past.

What the histoy got to do with this

In the past Britain was an emperor builder and major trading power in europe it came to conflicts with rivals over trading routs or a certain territory. Another thing was that the main rivals, like Germany, Russia and France, and the wars against them pushed Britain away from europe and made them get along with america instead of europe. An example for this is the Darkest Hour of Briatin, standing alone against Nazi-Germany, built up an mentality that Britain is it own best friend and that they can only rely on the US as an friend or aide. This mentality stayed in the mind of the Brits also with an other mentality that underlines their self-reliance. It is the fact that Britain is an island been isolated for a long time only protected by the Navy and nobody else. The combination with their insular mentality, their imperial hangover and that they were used to give orders not to get them, forms pride and a view on others, beeing suspicious.

After WW2

When the war ended, six nations formed an alliance, to controll their coal and steel production,so that a war in the form as the last one, would never happen in europe again. This alliance was called the ECSC, although Churchill supported the idea of an united europe, Britain declined to join the ECSC. One of the architects of the ECSC, Frenchman Jean Monnet, said: "I never understood why the British did not join. I came to the conclusion that it must have been because it was the price of victory - the illusion that you could maintain what you had, without change." This shows that Britain saw and see itself as self-reliant and that they got a relationship formed by suspicion with europe.

Britain and the EEC

1961 Britain tried to join the EEC but the French President Charles de Gaulle blocked their request twice. Accusing Britain of beeing selfish and a "deep-seated hostility" towards European construction, and of being more interested in links with the US. When de Gaulle left office, Britain was led in the EEC in 1973 by Conservative Prime Minister Edward Heath. The vote was clear with 67% of votes in favour Britain got in the EEC, but the discussion didnt stop, because there was no immediate economic fillip. In fact strikes and power cuts continued, and rising oil prices caused double-digit inflation. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-26515129 --Ben vol gla (Diskussion) 15:12, 15. Nov. 2018 (CET)