WSC'S PLANS FOR POST-WAR EUROPE

• WSC had seen the weaknesses of Britain's re-war foreign policy and had hoped that a solid Anglo-American friendship would be the basis of peace and stability in post-war Europe. WSC was committed to what had been called an Atlantic policy, that is a close relationship with the US. He thought that his personal relationship with Roosevelt and then his successor Truman was the strongest element in British foreign policy and was key to maintaining peace.
• He did not see Britain abandoning control of its empire and supported a worldwide association of countries to replace the old League of Nations and tried to make it feasible for the USSR to be a member by making concessions to Stalin's demands for representation from some of the republics of the USSR. In 1944 he had dealt with Stalin in terms of establishing spheres of influence with the percentage agreement.
• He thought it possible that Britain could maintain a considerable influence in the Mediterranean which would be close to the Suez Canal, links to Britain's Asian empire and their Australian allies. He was also committed to opposing communism where practical such as in Greece and he hoped that Turkey would be brought in as any ally. Initially SC was in favour of harsh measures against Germany. The divisions of the country had been agreed on during the war and there was to be punishment for the Nazi leaders and war criminals.
• However, old fears of building up resentment (similar to 1919) were present. SC expressed that the loss of former German lands to USSR was likely to create resentments. In addition, SC had never been a little Englander he had warmly supported the French statesman Briand's idea for a European Union in 1930 and in 1940 he had drafted a declaration that there shall no longer be to nations but one Franco-British union and in 1942 had written about a 'united states of Europe' with reduced barriers of trade and movement.