2013/02/26 by Alex Spelling · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Mathematics · #Political and Economic history of UK and US #Vietnamese History and Culture Studies #Successor cardinal #Special Relationship #Reputation #Pound (networking) #Law #Government (linguistics) #Political science #Sociology #Law and economics #Philosophy #Mathematics
paper · doi:10.1080/13619462.2013.769365
openalex publication_date 2013/02/26 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The course of the Anglo-American ‘special relationship’ in the 18 months after January 1969 is often overlooked, sandwiched between longer periods which seemingly brought to have seen significant strain and decline. The Labour government's decisions in 1967 to withdraw forces from the East of Suez military bases and to devalue the pound marked a watershed in the axis, and this article explores the changed dynamic under the new President, Richard Nixon. Far from marking an end to ‘special relations’, the absence of divisive issues allowed ties to flourish based on natural affinities and practical strengths, as did the positive attitudes of Nixon and National Security Adviser, Henry Kissinger. This set the tone for the US–UK interactions for the rest of the 1970s and encouraged the President that they could be even better under Wilson's successor, Edward Heath. A ‘fresh start’ to the special relationship, and one more recognisable to its contemporary prolongation was thus visible.