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BRITISH HISTORY: FOREIGN OFFICE AND FOREIGN POLICY

The Foreign Office was created as a separate department in 1782. It was headed by the secretary of state for foreign affairs.

Palmerston, Henry John Temple, 3^rd Viscount (1784-1865) was the most famous foreign secretary of the 19^th century. His principles were

– to defend British political, strategic, and economic interests in Europe and overseas,

– to remain aloof as much as possible from long-term commitments,

– to mediate in European disputes to preserve peace,

– to assert British power when necessary.

He said in 1848: “We have no eternal allies, and we have no perpetual enemies. Our interests are eternal and perpetual, and those interests it is our duty to follow”.

Palmerston saw France as Britain’s potential enemy. He prevented the
Low Countries (Belgium, Spain, and Portugal) from falling under French influence.

He opposed Russia because of the threat to British interests in southern Europe and Asia.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office commonly called the Foreign Office or the FCO is a department of the United Kingdom government. It is responsible for protecting and promoting UK interests worldwide. It was created in 1968 by merging the Foreign Office and the Commonwealth Office.

The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of Great Britain and its dependencies, that are now sovereign states with full internal government but whose external relations are governed by Britain. All members (54 countries) except Mozambique and Rwanda were part of the British Empire.

The head of the FCO is Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, commonly abbreviated to “Foreign Secretary”, is seated in Whitehall, London.

Great Britain was the world’s foremost power during the 18^th, 19^th, and early 20^th centuries. It wielded significant influence upon world affairs through its financial and industrial power, its Royal Navy and the vast extent of its British Empire.

Historically, Great Britain pursued a foreign policy of “splendid isolation”. This meant that the cornerstone of British policy was to avoid long-term alliances with any country.

British foreign relations since 1600 have focused on achieving a balance of power, with no country controlling the continent of Europe. The chief enemy, from the Hundred Year’s War until the defeat of Napoleon (1337-1815) was France, a large country with a more powerful army. The British were successful in their many wars, with the exception of colonial rebels in the American War of Independence (1775-1783). A favoured diplomatic strategy was subsidizing the armies of continental allies, such as Prussia. Britain relied heavily on its Royal Navy for security. British foreign policy was based principally on national, and then imperial self-interest for most of the country’s history. The British built up a very large worldwide British Empire that occupied 57 percent of the area of all colonial possessions on the globe. It peaked in size in the 1920-1940s, and then began to shrink until by the 1970s almost nothing was left.

After 1900 Britain ended its “splendid isolation” by developing friendly relations with the United States and signing a military alliance with Japan (1902). The Triple Entente was formed (1907) by France, Russia, and Great Britain to oppose the growing might of Germany in the early 20^th century. This was the alliance that, later joined by the United States, fought the First World War and then the Second.

The Empire faded away after 1945 when Britain could no longer defend its far-flung territories.

Britain moved closer to the USA and its defence is closely related to the worldwide role of the USA. The Anglo-American relationship is often termed “the special relationship”. Although there have been lapses in the alliance over the last six decades, there is little doubt that in real crisis, the two countries would be practically joined at the hip.

Following the end of the Second World War, British alliances were dictated by the demands of the Cold War and Britain’s decline from Great Power to “middleweight” status.

The flagging economy cost of the two World Wars and the granting of independence to most colonies after 1946 diminished its power.

Topical Vocabulary:

Exercise 1.

Give the English equivalents to the following words and word-combinations:

Министерство иностранных дел Великобритании; избегать длительных обязательств перед другими странами; постоянные союзники; быть посредником в конфликтах; отстаивать политические, стратегические, экономические интересы; проводить политику; защищать дальние территории; мощь страны.

Exercise 2.

Give the Russian equivalents to the following words and word-combinations:

The Commonwealth of Nations; Secretary of State for foreign affairs; flagging economy; to grant independence; to subsidize armies; the Triple Entente; to diminish power; bedrock interests; lapse; to wield influence.

Exercise 3.

Comprehension check:

1. When was the Foreign Office in Britain created? When was the FCO created?

2. What is the FCO responsible for?

3. What countries became member-states of the Commonwealth of Nations?

4. Who is the current British Foreign Secretary? Where is his residence located?

5. What were the main priorities for British foreign policy in the 18, 19 centuries?

6. How did Great Britain wield its influence in the world?

7. What made Britain end its foreign policy of “splendid isolation”?

8. Why was it difficult for the British Empire to defend its far-flung territories after the Second World War?

Exercise 4.

Exercise 6.

Match the words and word-combinations (column B) with the suitable sentences (column A):

Exercise 7.