Is it Possible to write a credible history of British Intelligence in the 20th C
Chapter 1 British 20th Century Forward
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11. Victorious Decline: WWII • Rise of Nazi Germany – from Appeasement to Declaration of War (1939) • Battle of Britain and the Blitz • Britain faced Germany alone until Soviet Union and USA join the war (1941) • End of war in 1945 signals end of UK as a great power • Eclipsed by USA and Soviet Union
Transcript of Chapter 1 British 20th Century Forward
11. Victorious Decline: WWII• Rise of Nazi Germany – from
Appeasement to Declaration of War (1939)
• Battle of Britain and the Blitz• Britain faced Germany alone
until Soviet Union and USA join the war (1941)
• End of war in 1945 signals end of UK as a great power
• Eclipsed by USA and Soviet Union
12. Post-War UK and the World• 1947- c.1970 British Empire
dismantled• 1973 Britain joins EEC (later EU)
- lukewarm support evolves into widespread Euro-scepticism
• “Special relationship” with USA – increasingly strained through “wars on terror”
• Post-colonial conflict: Falklands War 1982
13. Post-War UK at home • Establishment of National Health
Service 1948• Consensus politics – greater
social equality, full employment and mixed economy, incl. state ownership of utilities
• Strong trade unions• Consensus challenged under
Margaret Thatcher (right, 1979– 1990)
• Cuts in welfare, no support for declining industries, denationalisation of utilities, trade union power reined in
Post-War Britain at home cont’d• Cuts in welfare, no support for
declining industries, denationalisation of utilities, trade union power reined in
• “New Labour” under Tony Blair (1997-2007) return to consensus politics, but without reversing Thatcher’s changes
• 2010 Coalition government – indecisive election result brings Tories and Lib Dems together
• Rise of UKIP
