Anglo-French relations in the context of European integration in 1958-1960

After World War II two models of European integration were proposed. One of its was British concept of the creation of intergovernmentalstructure as a mean of overcoming French-German antagonism and strengthening of Western Europe. Such structure was organized in 1949.It was a Council of Europe. The second model of integration was proposed by French general commissar of General Commissariat ofPlanning J. Monne. He had been arguing a supranational approach to integration of Western Union. In 1951 a European Organization of Coaland Steel in according to J. Monnes plan was created. Great Britain greeted the start of European Integration process bur was out of Six(France, FRG, Italy, Belgium, Luxemburg and Netherlands). The french initiatives in the sphere of integration became the most viable andpromising projects. In 1951 the European Coal and Steel Community was created. At a conference in Messina in 1955, the Six decided tocreate the European Economic Community and European Atomic Energy Community. The catalyst for the creation of supranationalinstitutions was the Suez crisis of 1956. New British Prime Minister, Mr. H. Macmillan in January 1957 proposed for the Cabinet to discussthe so-called "grand design", which, in essence, was an alternative version of the French initiatives of the integration of Western Europe. InFebruary 1957 a discussion of the project of British free trade area (or the economic part of the "grand design") began on the basis of theEuropean Organization for economic cooperation. In 1957-1958 British government had initiated the negotiations on the base ofOrganization of European Economic Development on this idea. Position of France had a key character for the result of negotiations. Britishhad tried to argue the French the advantages of their idea from political and economical points of view. But French politicians especiallygeneral Ch. de Gaulle (he became a President of Fifth Republic in 1958) considered British plan as an attempt to undermine the Six,absorbing it in more broad intergovernmental organization. In March 1957 two supranational organizations were created (EuropeanEconomic Community and European Community in Atomic Energy or Euratom) further developing French ideas. Great Britain was outagain. But negotiations were lasting with a little chance for Britains success. H. Macmillan didnt to convinced Ch. de Gaulle in similarity ofhis owe and British approaches to European integration. British Prime Minister had not succeeded in winning over their part of his "special"ally - the United States. As a result in November 1958 French delegation rejections to discuss further the idea of free trade area. As analysisof an article shows the British government didnt enterprise all needed attempts to reach a goal and create a Free Trade Area Creation. GreatBritain in the circumstances of Colonial System Disintegration faced with a necessity of correction of European Policy.

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