UK Foreign Policy Under the Clement Attlee Era During the Dilemma of Global Responsibilities and National Reformation

Abstract

Clement Attlee served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) between 1945 and 1951. In addition to the economic and social problems that emerged after World War II., Attlee also had to deal with many foreign policy issues that concerned his country. He knew the UK's global power was diminishing despite his country's victory in World War II. Despite the sheer size and variety of issues Attlee had to deal with, he continues to be remembered in the minds of many Britons as a successful prime minister. Despite this, the article claims that while Attlee focused on the support from the United States (USA) and reforms within the country, he could not pursue a free foreign policy and did not sufficiently deal with international relations issues for which the British Empire was responsible. The article justifies this claim by considering the important foreign policy events between 1945 and 1951. In this respect, although Attlee was a successful prime minister in the eyes of British society, he set a negative example for his successors by the convenience of avoiding problems for which the UK was responsible from the very beginning.

Keywords

• Clement Attlee
• Ernest Bevin
• United Kingdom
• Britain
• Foreign Policy of the UK.

Küresel Sorumluluklar ve Ulusal Reformasyon İkileminde Clement Attlee Dönemi Birleşik Krallık Dış Politikası

Öz

1945 ve 1951 yılları arasında Birleşik Krallık Başbakanı olan Clement Attlee, II. Dünya Savaşı sonrasında karşılaşılan ekonomik ve sosyal sorunların yanında, ülkesini ilgilendiren çok sayıda dış politika konusuyla da uğraşmak durumunda kalmıştır. Attlee, II. Dünya Savaşı’ndan galip çıkmasına rağmen Birleşik Krallık’ın küresel anlamda azalan gücünün farkındaydı. Attlee, ilgilenmek zorunda olduğu sorunların büyüklüğüne ve çeşitliliğine rağmen çok sayıda Britanyalının zihninde başarılı bir başbakan olarak anılmaya devam etmektedir. Buna rağmen makale Attlee’nin Amerika Birleşik Devletleri’nden (ABD) alınacak desteğe ve ülke içerisindeki reformlara odaklanırken özgür bir dış politika izleyemediği ve Britanya İmparatorluğu’nun oluşumunda sorumlu olduğu uluslararası ilişkiler sorunlarıyla yeterince ilgilenmediği iddiasındadır. Makalede 1945-1951 yılları arasındaki önemli dış politika olayları dikkate alınarak, bu iddia gerekçelendirilmiştir. Attlee’nin bahsi geçen ilgisizliğiyle, Filistin ve Keşmir sorunlarını dünyaya “miras” bıraktığı ileri sürülebilir. Bu yönüyle Attlee, Britanyalılar nezdinde başarılı bir başbakanlık yapmış olsa da Birleşik Krallık’ın sorumlu olduğu sorunlardan kaçınmanın kolaylığını tercih ederek halefleri için de olumsuz bir örnek oluşturmuştur.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Clement Attlee
• Ernest Bevin
• Birleşik Krallık
• Britanya
• Birleşik Krallık Dış Politikası.

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