Britain And European Integration Since 1945

This book provides both a comprehensive introduction and a perceptive examination of Britain’s relations with the European Community and the European Union since 1945, combining an historical account with political analysis to illustrate the changing and multifaceted nature of British and European politics. Few issues in British politics since 1945 have generated such heated controversy as Britain’s approach to the process of European integration associated with the European Union. The long-running debate on the subject has not only played a major part in the downfall of prime ministers and other leading political figures but has also exposed major fault-lines within governments and caused deep and rancorous divisions within and between the major political parties. This highly contested issue has given rise to bitter campaigning in the press and between pressure groups, and it has bemused, confused and divided the public at large. Key questions addressed include: Why has Europe had such an explosive impact on British politics? What impelled British policymakers to join the European Community and to undertake one of the radical, if not the most radical, changes in modern British history? What have been the perceived advantages and disadvantages of British membership of the European Union? Why has British membership of the European Union rarely attracted a national consensus? Engaging with both academic and public debates about Britain and the European Union, this volume is essential reading for all students of British history, British politics, and European politics.

This volume provides an up-to-date and comprehensive introduction to British policy in Europe. By exploring the schisms within the party over Europe, through primary source-based history and theoretical discourses of political science, N.J. Crowson gives the reader the best sense of understanding of how and why the Conservative party’s policy attitudes to European integration have evolved. The Conservative Party and European Integration since 1945 adopts a thematic line based around two chronological periods, 1945–75 and 1975–2006, and uses different methodological approaches. It explores the shifting stances amongst Conservatives within an economic, political and international context as the party adjusted to the decline of Britain’s world role and the loss of empire. Crowson analyzes Britain’s role and relationship with Europe together with the study of the Conservative Party, and deals with economic, commercial and monetary issues, successfully bridging a serious gap in any discussion of the UK’s relations with the European Union and appreciation of the political world in which Conservative European policy has been framed and pursued since 1945. This book is recommended for background reading in undergraduate courses in British politics and European history.

Selected from the 1992 summer school of the Institute of Contemporary British History, 20 essays delve into why Britain, so quickly off the mark after World War II, has turned out to be among the last to join a unified Europe, and still remains a semi-detached member. They are arranged in sections on Britain's early vision of a united Europe, her search for a role from 1956 to 1973, and the awkward and often tense marriage since then. Distributed in the US by St. Martin's Press. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Using contemporary documents, this book tells the story of Britain's hesitant moves into Europe. It assesses the debates and controversies surrounding Britain's attitudes to European integration, including the arguments on sovereignty.

This important book offers a refreshing and challenging perspective on the nature of history by analyzing the character, role, functioning and wider uses of historiography. Taking British policies toward European integration since the Second World War as a case study, the author demonstrates how its interpretation and reportage over time is subject to changing trends. Seeking to explain these trends in terms of the different conceptions of the past which are maintained by different schools of writing, it forces us to confront the fundamental difficulties we encounter in undertaking studies in history. It draws attention to the impact on historical interpretation of changing times, political discourse, the opening of archives, and of subjects being brought to the fore by professional historians.

The European Union faces a crossroads in the twenty-first century. While there is evidence of declining enthusiasm for European integration, the EU plays an increasingly vital role in tackling problems that can no longer be dealt with at member state level. In recent years, the EU has developed a stronger foreign, security and defence policy, and has had to face up to the challenges of tackling organised crime, human trafficking and drug smuggling. In this fully updated new edition, Alasdair Blair examines the economic, political, social and personal factors that have shaped the process of European integration from the end of the Second World War until the Lisbon Treaty in 2009. Written in a clear and jargon-free style, the book explores: The context of European integration and expansion The relations between the European Union and its member states The institutional evolution of the European Union Methods of decision-making Key policies of the European Union The future direction of the European Union Comprehensive and accessible, this book is an essential guide to understanding the relevance of the European Union in the twenty-first century.

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, fundamental differences in values and policy can be discerned in British-German relations. For historical, political, and economic reasons, the collective memories of both nations have retained very different identities and attitudes towards each other and towards the European continent and European integration. Yet, Britain is one of the most significant European partners for Germany and Germany is of great importance for Britains role in Europe. This book focuses on the influence of European integration on the policies of Britain and Germany towards each other. It considers British-German relations in the context of European integration in their historical dimensions since 1945. Britains ambiguous policy towards the GDR and Mrs Thatchers opposition to German unification are also discussed. In particular, the book focuses on the post-1990 relationship and examines the political, security related, economic and financial as well as the social aspects of the dynamic British-German relations in an ever more interdependent world. The influence of the US and France on both Germany and Britain and their European policies is therefore considered in detail. This book offers interesting and challenging insights into the evolution of British-German relations within the context of European integration in the post-Second World War and post-Unification era. The book argues that throughout the latter half of the twentieth century Britain and Germany can be characterised as uneasy allies. It is only since the late 1990s Britain and Germany appear to have become genuine partners in the context of European integration.