This course examines the dilemma posed by west European unification for postwar British governments and analyses how the process of strategy formulation is influenced by domestic political and economic choices. These themes will be illustrated by exploration, first, of Britain’s triangular relationship with the Commonwealth, the USA and Western Europe up to the 1975 referendum, secondly, of the dwindling benefits to be gained from close association with the Commonwealth, and thirdly, of the national economic strategies developed by the two main political parties during the period under review. A basic knowledge of and/or interest in economics is helpful for students taking this course

Knowledge and Understanding:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of the key principles underpinning the conduct of Britain’s external relations between 1951 and 1975;
• identify the shifting balance between Europe, the wider world and the Atlantic area in British national strategy
• demonstrate an understanding of how debates about the modernization and reinvention of Britain became located within different visions of the country’s international position;
• analyse the themes mentioned above in the light of those ideas and debates;
• demonstrate an in-depth and critical understanding of (a) key concepts and debates governing the formulation of British national strategy within the appropriate secondary literature and (b) key primary sources on British politics, economic affairs and foreign policy for the period under review;

·         demonstrate an ability to assess the significance of both primary and secondary source material.

Intellectual Skills:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• identify the nature and scope of the issues raised concerning British policy towards European integration from 1951-75;
• explain and analyse the influence of economics on the formulation of a modern nation-state’s international strategy;
• summarise and appraise with reference to the primary and secondary material topics such as the role of domestic politics and economic policy on Britain’s external relations during this period, the conflicting ideas about European unity within the Western Alliance, Britain’s increasing prioritization of Western Europe over the Commonwealth, and the changing position of ‘Europeanism’ in the philosophies of the two major parties;
• identify problems, assess evidence, and reach conclusions consistent with them;
• devise and sustain arguments about the previously mentioned topics using ideas or techniques developed during the course;
• present their arguments accurately, succinctly and lucidly, and in written or oral form, in accordance with appropriate scholarly conventions in assessed essays and unseen examinations.

Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• express their ideas and assessments on Britain’s relationship with Western Europe  from 1951-1975;
• discuss in an informed manner British national and international strategy from 1951-1975
• evaluate a range of arguments of alternative historical/historiographical interpretations
• to demonstrate an understanding of some of the primary sources and an appreciation of how historians have approached them.

Transferable Skills:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• communicate ideas and arguments effectively, whether in speech or in writing in an accurate, succinct and lucid manner;
• formulate and justify their own arguments and conclusions about a range of issues;
• demonstrate an ability to modify as well as to defend their own position;
• posses a range of information technology resources to assist  with information retrieval;
• organise their own study methods and workload;
• work as part of a team in seminar or tutorial discussions.
• independently organise their own study methods and workload

The course will be taught and students will learn through a mixture of:

• formal lectures to introduce students to the main factual and conceptual issues to be discussed and analysed during the course
• seminars in which key texts are analysed will enable students to further develop analytic skills
• document workshops in which primary sources are analysed will enable students to develop discipline specific methods of approaching and analysing primary historical sources
• presentations through which students will develop their presentation and team work skills and understanding of specific topics

Intellectual Skills:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• identify the nature and scope of the issues raised concerning British policy towards European integration from 1951-75;
• explain and analyse the influence of economics on the formulation of a modern nation-state’s international strategy;
• summarise and appraise with reference to the primary and secondary material topics such as the role of domestic politics and economic policy on Britain’s external relations during this period, the conflicting ideas about European unity within the Western Alliance, Britain’s increasing prioritization of Western Europe over the Commonwealth, and the changing position of ‘Europeanism’ in the philosophies of the two major parties;
• identify problems, assess evidence, and reach conclusions consistent with them;
• devise and sustain arguments about the previously mentioned topics using ideas or techniques developed during the course;
• present their arguments accurately, succinctly and lucidly, and in written or oral form, in accordance with appropriate scholarly conventions in assessed essays and unseen examinations.

Discipline Specific (including practical) Skills:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• express their ideas and assessments on Britain’s relationship with Western Europe  from 1951-1975;
• discuss in an informed manner British national and international strategy from 1951-1975
• evaluate a range of arguments of alternative historical/historiographical interpretations;
• to demonstrate an understanding of some of the primary sources and an appreciation of how historians have approached them.

Transferable Skills:

Upon the completion of the option, the typical student will be able to:

• communicate ideas and arguments effectively, whether in speech or in writing in an accurate, succinct and lucid manner;
• formulate and justify their own arguments and conclusions about a range of issues;
• demonstrate an ability to modify as well as to defend their own position;
• posses a range of information technology resources to assist  with information retrieval;
• organise their own study methods and workload;
• work as part of a team in seminar or tutorial discussions.
• independently organise their own study methods and workload

Students will be assessed by means of a combination of one essay relating to primary sources [20%], an assessed essay [30%] and an examination paper [50%].

Course assignments:

1. The essay relating to primary sources will contribute 20% of the final mark for the module and must be no longer than 1,000 words.
2. The Assessed Essay will contribute 30% of the final mark for the module. It is designed to give students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to review evidence, draw appropriate conclusions from it and employ the formal conventions of scholarly presentation. It must be no longer than 2,000 words.
3. The Examination will take place during the second assessment period [May/June] and will consist of an unseen two hour paper that will contribute the remaining 50% of the final mark for this module. Students must write 2 answers in total.  

Topics covered include:

  1 Introduction – Britain and Europe: the long view

  2. The rise and fall of European Defence Community (EDC)

  3. Britain, Europe, sterling and ‘one world’, 1951-55

  4. Messina: the 'relaunching of Europe'

  5. Britain and the European customs union

  6. The Treaty of Rome and the free trade area

  7. 1956-58: a great reappraisal?

  8. The conversion of the establishment

  9. Macmillan, Conservative modernization and the EEC

10. The first application, the Nassau conference and de Gaulle's veto.

11 Harold Wilson, Labour’s ‘New Britain’, and the second application

12. Heath takes Britain in: the EEC and corporate capitalism

13. British Conservatism and Europe, 1951-72

14. The Left, the Community and the referendum, 1973-75