British American Relations In The 1920s

Seminar paper from the year 2002 in the subject History of Germany - World War I, Weimar Republic, grade: 1 (A), University of Glasgow (Modern History), course: British Foreign Policy, language: English, abstract: I) Introduction: Answering the above question one must look back to the First World War. Various scholars have shown that the origins of tensions in Anglo-American relations derive mostly from problems centred on issues of the Great War. Therefore research on this topic must start slightly before the time frame given by the above question with the examination of the time period following the First World War (1918-1920). Since various issues influenced the decline of Anglo-American relations an essay on this topic should reasonably be arranged into the examination of different issues, rather than in a chronological way. Factors that entailed the decline in Anglo-American relations in the post-war period were the loss of influence and power of Great Britain, related to the financial dependency on the United States, Anglo-American rivalry for naval predominance, Anglo-American rivalry concerning the world′s oil and rubber resources , the war debt issue and the future of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. Thomas Buckley has shown that a deep suspicion of Britain existed within the American population and even within the American government. He stated that the predominant view on Britain was that of an arrogant competitor "whose pretensions of leadership failed to recognise realities of British decline and American rise." He reminded the community of Historians of how deep-rooted this suspicion was in the United States of the 1920s and 1930s. The suspicions grew on the belief that Britain worked only for its own interests and therefore always against the United States whose influence increased steadily. A large number of Americans believed that Britain had manipulated the United States into the war to save its very own interests. On the other side of the Atlantic similar resentments dominated the 1920s. British officials and media-representatives pointed out regularly the American strictness on the war debt issue and the danger of loosing the world-leadership. The British Ambassador to Washington wrote in 1921: "The central ambition of this realist school of American politicians is to win for America the position of leading nation in the world and also of leader among the English-speaking nations. To do this they intend to have the strongest navy and the largest mercantile marine. They intend also to prevent us from paying our debt by sending goods to America and they look for the opportunity to treat us as a vassal state so long as the debt remains unpaid." [...]

This collection examines the complex struggle for supremacy conducted between the United States and Britain in the decade following World War I. The aim is to throw light on a crucial period in the history of British and American foreign policy and on 20th-century international affairs.

New research by several leading political historians creates a detailed and diverse study of Anglo-American relations in the twentieth century. Declassified documents provide unique insight into the personal relationships between Eisenhower and Eden, and Lyndon Johnson and Harold Wilson. This volume offers a breadth of scholarship drawn from three continents and examines the diplomatic negotiations, powerful personalities and political considerations at the heart of British-American affairs.

The documents also reveal the way the concept of the 'special relationship' was used as a 'tool of diplomacy' on both sides of the Atlantic.

Anglo-American relations have been a crucial factor in international relations for over two centuries. For most of that time dealings between Britain and the United States have remained co-operative, cordial, and supportive. In the beginning, however, relations were confrontational and discordant: the two nations waged war against each other twice_in the War of Independence and in the War of 1812_and have often disagreed over trade, finance, and foreign policy. This volume demonstrates the changing nature of Anglo-American relations and focuses, in particular, on the strengths and fragilities of the 'special relationship' that developed in the aftermath of the WWII and continues to the present day. The Historical Dictionary of Anglo-American Relations surveys Anglo-American relations from 1607 to the present and covers key events, individuals, and issues that have played a part in its history. Through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, appendixes, and hundreds of cross-referenced entries_with an emphasis on the political and economic relationship between Britain and the United States but also featuring the cultural links between the two_this comprehensive and easily accessible reference tool will delight those interested in the history of these two countries.