Prof. Philippe Murillo, PhD philippe.murillo@univ-tlse3.fr

Civilisation Britannique

Prof. Philippe Murillo, PhD philippe.murillo@univ-tlse3.fr

Séance 2   Post WWII construction : 1951- 1952 and the reaction after 1952 until the real turning point of 1957

SESSION 1

19th century

• Home affairs
• >political & social reforms
• Parliamentary (secret ballot vote, Reform Acts, modern local govt, 2 parties)
• Social (working conditions, slavery, Education Acts,
• Pb > Ireland « potatoes » crisis
• Reliance on the colonies
• Britons resented engaging in European unity
• 1949 : NATO

• Stepping stones towards modern Europe
• Federalism
• European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)1951
• Rebuilding Europe
• Britain’s conception of Europe
• European Defence Community (EDC) 1954
• Claude Monnet & Robert Schuman : solidarities
• European Economic Community 1957
• European Union 1993
• What of « supranationalism » ?

"In federal systems, such as the USA and Germany, neither the central nor the regional level of government is supposed to be subordinate to the other. Federalism is seen as generating effective central power for handling common problems whilst preserving regional autonomy. Five main features of a federal system of government can be highlighted: two levels of government, a general and a regional/ formal distribution of legislative and executive authority and sources of revenue between the two levels/ a written constitution/ a supreme or constitutional court to adjudicate in disputes between the two levels/ central institutions, including a bicameral legislature within which the upper chamber will usually embody territorial representation, as is the case with the US Senate and the German Bundesrat."

Andrew GEDDES, The European Union and British Politics, Palgrave MacMillan, Basingstoke, 2004, p.43.

Britain’s changes and directions

• British industry was strong enough without the continent (former empire)
• A Protestant approach to European politics (a « nation-state »)
• European Defence Community (EDC) in 1952
• Context:
• Fundamental reforms and changes
• Extension of the vote
• Diminishing power of aristocratic House of Lords
• Increasing authority of the House of Commons
• Decline of the executive monarchy in the parliamentary structure
• Weakening of the Church authority
• Growth of the labour movement

The reaction after 1952 until the real turning point of 1957

• Political and strategic integration later
• « de facto solidarities »? (Monnet & Schuman
• « functionalism/neofunctionalism »
• 1955 Messina Conference
• 1957 Treaty of Rome (6 countries without Britain)

1957 onwards

• Britain helped to create EFTA in 1959
• Trading links with Commonwealth &  ”special relationship” with the USA
• Americans pressure UK
• 1961 – first British application to join EEC.
• Second one in 1967, acceptance in 1973 (Edward HEATH)

Review of the impact of historical events and ideas

• Spiritual isolationism > profound (Protestant vs Catholics)
• > to be the basis of political alignments in Europe
• Development of political liberalism
• > from Magna Carta (1215) to the Rule of Law , Bill of Rights (1686) / Constitutional monarchy with absolute power to Parliament.
• Cf. Edmund BURKE and British tradition of progressive change and pragmatism.

Economic liberalism

• Economic liberalism vs “mercantilism”
• Strong involvement of British capitalists
• John LOCKE and private property
• Thomas HOBBES: a society without rules and regulations is the jungle.
• Locke went further: the power of citizens to overthrow the government; Lockian social contract;
• Adam SMITH as founder of economics –supply and demand rule.

Post World War Two: 1945 onwards

• The end of the Second World War brought a new Labour government
• Expansion of the welfare state
• The establishment of a National Health Service.

Post World War Two: 1945 onwards

• India and Pakistan became independent soon after the war
• Eventually, almost all of Britain's colonies became independent
• Most retain ties with Britain through the Commonwealth.
• This is a multiracial community and a means through which Britain maintains its influence in the world

India and Pakistan gain Independence 1947

• India was the most valuable part of the British Empire, its possession was proof of British world power.
• The war had strained Britain's ability to govern its empire so it was decided that India would self-govern.
• However the two factions in India (the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League) could not agree on a constitution.
• As a result, India was divided into the modern states of India and Pakistan.

• Britain's economic strength declined after the war
• External trade is still extremely important to Britain
• Britain entered the European Community in 1973

Post World War Two: The EU

• Context:
• Formation of the Labour Party
• Economic policies of nationalization
• Creation of a “welfare state”
• Cf. First large majority Labour government (PM Clement ATTLEE 1945-51)

Food for thought

• Has isolationism always existed and has it always been the same in the UK?
• When and how did it come about?
• Has it been the main reason for the difficulties of British integration into the EU?

Prof. Philippe Murillo, PhD philippe.murillo@univ-tlse3.fr