Diplomatic history of World War II: Difference between revisions
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The '''Diplomatic history of World War II''' includes the major foreign policies and interactions inside the major coalitions, the Allies and the Axis powers. |
The '''Diplomatic history of World War II''' includes the major foreign policies and interactions inside the major coalitions, the Allies and the Axis powers. |
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==Allies== |
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===Britain - United States === |
===Britain - United States === |
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{{See also|Lend-Lease|Destroyers for Bases Agreement|Manhattan Project}} |
{{See also|Lend-Lease|Destroyers for Bases Agreement|Manhattan Project}} |
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====India==== |
====India==== |
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Serious tension erupted over American demands that [[India]] be given independence, a proposition Churchill vehemently rejected. For years Roosevelt had encouraged Britain's disengagement from India. The American position was based on principled opposition to colonialism, practical concern for the outcome of the war, and the expectation of a large American role in a post-colonial era. However in 1942 when the [[Indian National Congress|Congress Party]] launched a [[Quit India]] movement, the British authorities immediately arrested tens of thousands of activists (including Gandhi). Meanwhile India became the main American staging base for aid to China. Churchill threatened to resign if Roosevelt pushed too hard, so Roosevelt backed down.<ref>Eric S. Rubin, "America, Britain, and Swaraj: Anglo-American Relations and Indian Independence, 1939–1945," ''India Review" (Jan–March 2011) 10#1 pp 40–80</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Arthur Herman|title=Gandhi & Churchill: The Epic Rivalry That Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=hdPmzLtU5G4C|year=2008|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|pages=472–539}}</ref> |
Serious tension erupted over American demands that [[India]] be given independence, a proposition Churchill vehemently rejected. For years Roosevelt had encouraged Britain's disengagement from India. The American position was based on principled opposition to colonialism, practical concern for the outcome of the war, and the expectation of a large American role in a post-colonial era. However in 1942 when the [[Indian National Congress|Congress Party]] launched a [[Quit India]] movement, the British authorities immediately arrested tens of thousands of activists (including Gandhi). Meanwhile India became the main American staging base for aid to China. Churchill threatened to resign if Roosevelt pushed too hard, so Roosevelt backed down.<ref>Eric S. Rubin, "America, Britain, and Swaraj: Anglo-American Relations and Indian Independence, 1939–1945," ''India Review" (Jan–March 2011) 10#1 pp 40–80</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Arthur Herman|title=Gandhi & Churchill: The Epic Rivalry That Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=hdPmzLtU5G4C|year=2008|publisher=Random House Digital, Inc.|pages=472–539}}</ref> |
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==Axis== |
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==Notes== |
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<references/> |
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==Further reading== |
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===Allies=== |
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* Allen; H. C. ''Great Britain and the United States: A History of Anglo-American Relations, 1783–1952'' (1954) |
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* [[John Charmley]]. ''Churchill's Grand Alliance: The Anglo-American Special Relationship 1940–57'' (1996) |
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* Dobson, Alan P. ''Anglo-American Relations in the Twentieth Century'' (1995) |
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* Dumbrell, John. ''A special relationship: Anglo-American relations from the cold war to Iraq'' (2006) |
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* Hollowell; Jonathan. ''Twentieth-Century Anglo-American Relations'' (2001) |
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* Louis, William Roger; ''Imperialism at Bay: The United States and the Decolonization of the British Empire, 1941–1945'' (1978) |
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* Nasaw, David. ''The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy'' (2012), US ambassador to Britain, 1937-40; pp 281-486 |
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* Reynolds, David. ''From World War to Cold War: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the International History of the 1940s'' (2007) [http://www.amazon.com/From-World-War-Cold-International/dp/0199237611/ excerpt and text search] |
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* Woods, Randall Bennett. ''Changing of the Guard: Anglo-American Relations, 1941–1946'' (1990) |
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[[Category:United Kingdom–United States relations]] |
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Revision as of 22:33, 21 June 2013
The Diplomatic history of World War II includes the major foreign policies and interactions inside the major coalitions, the Allies and the Axis powers.
Allies
Britain - United States
Though much of the American people were sympathetic to Britain during its dangerous confrontation with Nazi Germany, there was widespread opposition to possible American intervention in European affairs. This was put into law in a series of Neutrality Acts which were ratified by the United States Congress in 1935, 1936, and 1937 respectively. However,President Roosevelt's policy of cash-and-carry still allowed Britain and France to order munitions from the United States and carry them home.
Churchill, who had long warned agauinst Germany and demanded rearmament, became prime minister after Chambelain [policy of appeasement had totally collapsed and Britain was unable to reverse the German invasion of Norway. After the fall of France in spring 1940, Roosevelt gave Britain and (after June 1941) the Soviet Union all aid short of war. The Destroyers for Bases Agreement which was signed in September 1940, gave the United States a ninety-nine-year rent-free lease of numerous land and air bases throughout the British Empire in exchange for the Royal Navy receiving fifty old destroyers from the United States Navy. Beginning in March 1941, the United States enacted Lend-Lease in the form of tanks, fighter airplanes, munitions, bullets, food, and medical supplies. Britain received $31.4 billion out of a total of $50.1 billion sent to the Allies.[1]
In summer 1941, two American destroyers shadowing German submarines had already been torpedoed in the North Atlantic Ocean. During the war the senior military commanders of both sides formed the Combined Chiefs of Staff to plot policy, which had to be approved by Roosevelt and Churchill. Military cooperation was close and successful.[2]
Technical collaboration was even closer, as the two nations shared secrets and weapons regarding the proximity fuze and radar, as well as airplane engines, Nazi codes, and the atomic bomb.[3][4][5]
Millions of American servicemen were based in Britain during the war, which led to a certain amount of friction with British men and intermarriage with British women. This animosity was explored in art and film, most particularly A Matter of Life and Death and A Canterbury Tale.[6]
In 1945 Churchill had sent British fleet to help the United States attack and invade Japan.
India
Serious tension erupted over American demands that India be given independence, a proposition Churchill vehemently rejected. For years Roosevelt had encouraged Britain's disengagement from India. The American position was based on principled opposition to colonialism, practical concern for the outcome of the war, and the expectation of a large American role in a post-colonial era. However in 1942 when the Congress Party launched a Quit India movement, the British authorities immediately arrested tens of thousands of activists (including Gandhi). Meanwhile India became the main American staging base for aid to China. Churchill threatened to resign if Roosevelt pushed too hard, so Roosevelt backed down.[7][8]
Axis
Notes
- ^ Leo T. Crowley, "Lend Lease" in Walter Yust, ed. 10 Eventful Years (1947)1:520, 2, pp. 858–860.
- ^ Charmley. Churchill's Grand Alliance: The Anglo-American Special Relationship 1940–57 (1996); Hollowell; Twentieth-Century Anglo-American Relations (2001)
- ^ Paul Kennedy, Engineers of Victory: The Problem Solvers Who Turned The Tide in the Second World War (2013)
- ^ James W. Brennan, "The Proximity Fuze: Whose Brainchild?," U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings (1968) 94#9 pp 72–78.
- ^ Septimus H. Paul (2000). Nuclear Rivals: Anglo-American Atomic Relations, 1941–1952. Ohio State U.P. pp. 1–5.
- ^ John Reynolds, Rich Relations: The American Occupation of Britain, 1942–45 (Random House, 1995)
- ^ Eric S. Rubin, "America, Britain, and Swaraj: Anglo-American Relations and Indian Independence, 1939–1945," India Review" (Jan–March 2011) 10#1 pp 40–80
- ^ Arthur Herman (2008). Gandhi & Churchill: The Epic Rivalry That Destroyed an Empire and Forged Our Age. Random House Digital, Inc. pp. 472–539.
Further reading
Allies
- Allen; H. C. Great Britain and the United States: A History of Anglo-American Relations, 1783–1952 (1954)
- John Charmley. Churchill's Grand Alliance: The Anglo-American Special Relationship 1940–57 (1996)
- Dobson, Alan P. Anglo-American Relations in the Twentieth Century (1995)
- Dumbrell, John. A special relationship: Anglo-American relations from the cold war to Iraq (2006)
- Hollowell; Jonathan. Twentieth-Century Anglo-American Relations (2001)
- Louis, William Roger; Imperialism at Bay: The United States and the Decolonization of the British Empire, 1941–1945 (1978)
- Nasaw, David. The Patriarch: The Remarkable Life and Turbulent Times of Joseph P. Kennedy (2012), US ambassador to Britain, 1937-40; pp 281-486
- Reynolds, David. From World War to Cold War: Churchill, Roosevelt, and the International History of the 1940s (2007) excerpt and text search
- Woods, Randall Bennett. Changing of the Guard: Anglo-American Relations, 1941–1946 (1990)