| The research of the history of British empire is one of the focus for academy, the collapse of the empire drew people’s attention too. With the end of the Second World War, Britain was no longer a world power, the collapse began. The Middle East was been researched.Egypt means special to Britain. The Suez is been called "the life line". In order to keep the line open, British army began to seize Egypt in 1882. After the break out of the First World War, Britain proclaimed Egypt the "Protectorate", enhanced its influence in Egypt. After the war Britain gave Egypt the nominal "Independence" under the pressure of the nationalist in 1922. In 1930s the world dispensation changed. Italy planed to create an empire including Mediterranean and north Africa, which endangered British position in Egypt. In 1936, the Britain and Egypt signed a treaty, in which Britain got the rights of garrison in Egypt. The WWI showed the importance of Egypt, so immediately after the break out of the WWII, Churchill sent army and other materials to defend Egypt even though the island was facing great danger of the axes invasion.So, why Britain gave up Egypt while the latter was so important to the former? Most researchers paid attentions to the decline of British power and the demand of Egyptian nationalist. Because the British would no longer be able to deal with the Egyptian in the ways of the 19th, so they had to compromise, finally the British agreed to withdrew their power from Egypt. After years of negotiation, they reached the pact of 1954.However, researchers neglected one important factor in the relations between Britain and Egypt, the America. As a matter of fact, the American diplomatic policies do effect the process of British withdrew. While the decline of British influence in Egypt concomitanced with the rise of American power in the Middle East. From the released FRUS, we can get that the American diplomats hoped to replace the British while the latter acted badly in the battle field. Even when the British reestablished their influence, the American diplomats enhanced their profit by other means. After the war, President Roosevelt planned the American policy toward Egypt. However, the death of Roosevelt and the outbreak of the cold war changed American foreign policy. In order to withstand the same rivalry, American supported British position in Egypt, but which did not mean unconditional supporting. They needed the British to compromise in the negotiations to stabilized the Egyptian.In the process of the cold war, the main project of the two powers was the same, but there was also divarication. The American objective was to contain the Soviet penetration, keep the stability of the Middle East, solve the Arab-Israeli conflict, protect the oil. The British objective was to insure their special position in Arab, maintain their prestige in Middle East, hold the British empire. The divarication of their respective caused their frictions. In the cold war, when British objective did not imperil American global strategy, America standed the British actions, but when British foreign policy hampered American aims, America would not hesitate to press the British, forcing her to change the policy, which was an important factor leading to the evacuation of British power from Egypt.In light on the importance of American foreign policy, the full analysis of which is necessary. By such a research we can get a full understanding of the history, while make it clear how the’special relation’ worked. Behind the allies is the complicated conflict. Also this research would answer the faultage of American foreign policy, which was why America did not support Britain in the Suez war. Even though there were common stratagem in WWII and cold war between America and Britain, they also got their respective purposes. The contest for Egypt had been long, but was not open. America expanded its influence in Egypt gradually. The Cold War retarded the process of the transfer of power between the two powers. |
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