History - Harold Macmillan and détente 1957-63

1) Rebuilding the Anglo American relationship.

2) Maintaining Britain's independent nuclear status.

3) Pursuit of detente.

4) Pursuit of EEC membership.

• Rebuild the 'special relationship' damaged by the Suez Crisis.
• And maintain the 'special relationship' as a mainstay of UK foreign policy.
• Sought to use American power to offset Britain's economic and military limitations.
• Repeal the McMahon Act which prohibited Anglo-American cooperation on nuclear matters - American fears over Sputnik helped greatly. 

• Nuclear collaboration would help Blue Streak; Britain's independent nuclear deterrent. 
• Symbol of great power. 
• Allow for reductions in Britain's conventional armed forces and defence spending. 
• The term "interdependence" nonetheless came to the fore. From 1960 onwards (when Britain abandoned Blue Streak) shows that the UK was in an asymmetrical relationship with the United States. 
• Macmillan however continued to insist that interdependence and independence were two sides of the same coin.

• Took up the idea of a Nuclear Test Ban treaty as a step towards improving East-West relations - Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963.
• Though motivated by genuine desire to make the world a safer place, Macmillan was informed by national self interest:
  • Any slow down in the Nuclear Arms Race would bring welcome financial savings to a hard-pressed British economy. 
• British public were becoming increasingly concerned about nuclear dangers. 
  • Macmillan went to Moscow, first western leader to do so during the Cold War.
  • Viewed by America as an election year stunt.

• Needed to be in the EEC to help rebuild the flagging, under-performing British economy. 
• Believing that the EEC functioned as a containment barrier against the Soviet bloc, Macmillan wanted Britain inside. 
• Macmillan realised that Britain needed a second power base to offset signs of diminishing, or at any rate oscillating, British influence in and over Washington.

• Macmillan ultimately wanted: Partnership with the Americans. 
• He got it as Polaris under the Nassau agreement. 
• Didn't hinder national control over the deterrent if 'supreme national interests' so demanded.
  • Yet, this rendered Britain suservient to NATOs nuclear force.
• The Limited Test Ban Treaty of 1963, whilst believed to be delivered by the US-USSR, was actually much of Britain's doing. 
  • Britain had been relegated to facilitator rather than a deliverer of detente.