The End of the Era of Colonialism as a Factor of the European Policy of Great Britain (1940–1950s)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to show the peculiarities of the influence end of the postwar colonial era on the formation of the British position in the system of European policy in 1940–1950.

The research methodology of the study formed the principles of historicism, systematic, the author’s objectivity, general scientific methods of logic, comparative analysis, special-historical methods (historiographical analysis, historical-system, chronology, historical-genetic, retrospective analysis, comparatively historical).

Scientific novelty of the article is to study the interaction of the processes of formation and implementation of British foreign policy in the postwar decades in its two integral areas – relations with the post-imperial world (Commonwealth) and European integration structures. The processes of transformation of the system of possessions of British Empire into the Commonwealth of Nations, which became one of the main factors influencing the process of attracting Great Britain to European integration, are considered. The peculiarities of the formation of the position of Great Britain on European integration in this period are analyzed.

Conclusions. Great Britain has written in world history a vivid example transformation of the colonial system into the format of the Commonwealth. The success of decolonization in the first postwar decades, made possible in large part by the active support of the two new leading world powers, United States and Soviet Union, and the decline of Britain, determined its new position in international politics. Therefore, the postwar period of 1940–1950 for Britain was marked by the search for an updated model of foreign policy, in the process of forming which began the process of strengthening the European direction and weakening role of former imperial possessions. As in the first postwar decades, when Britain gave way to a system of postcolonial influence in favor of European integration, so in modern conditions of voluntary renunciation by leaving the EU, the ruling elites are trying to revive the former greatness of the state. However, the historical experience of the 1940–1950’s shows that its leadership in the process of achieving global goals should not forget about the regional rear in the form of a united Europe, which does not lose relevance as a territory of British international politics and economics.