Conservative
Decline
and
the
Rise
of
‘New
Labour’,
1990-2007
–
Foreign
Policy
Britain’s
position
in
the
European
Union
under
Major
and
Blair;
Britain’s
role
in
NATO
and
interventions
in
the
Balkans,1995-1999;
Britain’s
‘special
relationship’
with
the
United
States
and
its
impact
on
Britain’s
position
in
the
world
by
2007.
John
Major
1990-‐1992
The
First
Gulf
War
-‐
1991
-‐ Reasons
for
intervention
o Saddam
Hussein
and
his
‘Republican
Guard’
invaded
Kuwait
in
August
1990,
there
was
international
condemnation,
as
he
had
infringed
on
Kuwaiti
sovereignty.
o The
invasion
also
caused
concerns
for
the
oil
supply
and
the
economies
of
the
west.
o Policeman
of
the
world
to
protect
interests.
(?)
! Pearce
and
Stewart
argue
Britain
was
not
a
great
player.
Only
supplied
10%
of
troops,
wouldn’t
have
gone
without
US.
-‐ Events
o Arab
states
in
the
region
were
concerned
about
a
dominant
Iraq
in
the
region,
and
they
formed
a
military
alliance.
o USA
and
the
UK
created
a
collation
force
and
joined
the
Arab
military
alliance.
o Saddam
was
instructed
to
withdraw
from
Kuwait.
He
refused.
Operation
Desert
Storm
was
launched.
o The
Iraqi
troops
set
fire
to
oil
wells
and
leaked
oil
into
the
Red
Sea
as
they
retreated.
o Saddam
remained
in
power
in
Iraq
as
the
UN
backed
mission
did
not
allow
for
him
to
be
toppled
from
power.
! (The
hope
was
that
the
Iraqi
people
would
remove
him.
They
didn’t.)
-‐ Results
o The
1991
Gulf
War
success
gave
Britain
a
sense
of
esteem,
but
did
nothing
to
reverse
the
comparative
trend
of
decline.
! In
earlier
decades,
Britain
had
occupied
all
of
Iraq
without
any
need
from
the
help
of
other
nations.
-‐ Follow-‐Up
o The
UN
backed
mission
was
successful.
Later,
Saddam
gassed
the
Kurds
and
refused
to
co-‐operate
with
UN
inspection
teams.
The
UN
imposed
sanctions
–which
caused
terrible
suffering
to
the
Iraqi
people,
but
which
failed
to
dislodge
Saddam
from
power.
Special
relationship
-‐ George
Bush
Snr
was
the
USA’s
President.
He
had
replaced
Ronald
Reagan
in
1989.
Decline
and
the
Rise
of
‘New
Labour’,
1990-2007
–
Foreign
Policy
Britain’s
position
in
the
European
Union
under
Major
and
Blair;
Britain’s
role
in
NATO
and
interventions
in
the
Balkans,1995-1999;
Britain’s
‘special
relationship’
with
the
United
States
and
its
impact
on
Britain’s
position
in
the
world
by
2007.
John
Major
1990-‐1992
The
First
Gulf
War
-‐
1991
-‐ Reasons
for
intervention
o Saddam
Hussein
and
his
‘Republican
Guard’
invaded
Kuwait
in
August
1990,
there
was
international
condemnation,
as
he
had
infringed
on
Kuwaiti
sovereignty.
o The
invasion
also
caused
concerns
for
the
oil
supply
and
the
economies
of
the
west.
o Policeman
of
the
world
to
protect
interests.
(?)
! Pearce
and
Stewart
argue
Britain
was
not
a
great
player.
Only
supplied
10%
of
troops,
wouldn’t
have
gone
without
US.
-‐ Events
o Arab
states
in
the
region
were
concerned
about
a
dominant
Iraq
in
the
region,
and
they
formed
a
military
alliance.
o USA
and
the
UK
created
a
collation
force
and
joined
the
Arab
military
alliance.
o Saddam
was
instructed
to
withdraw
from
Kuwait.
He
refused.
Operation
Desert
Storm
was
launched.
o The
Iraqi
troops
set
fire
to
oil
wells
and
leaked
oil
into
the
Red
Sea
as
they
retreated.
o Saddam
remained
in
power
in
Iraq
as
the
UN
backed
mission
did
not
allow
for
him
to
be
toppled
from
power.
! (The
hope
was
that
the
Iraqi
people
would
remove
him.
They
didn’t.)
-‐ Results
o The
1991
Gulf
War
success
gave
Britain
a
sense
of
esteem,
but
did
nothing
to
reverse
the
comparative
trend
of
decline.
! In
earlier
decades,
Britain
had
occupied
all
of
Iraq
without
any
need
from
the
help
of
other
nations.
-‐ Follow-‐Up
o The
UN
backed
mission
was
successful.
Later,
Saddam
gassed
the
Kurds
and
refused
to
co-‐operate
with
UN
inspection
teams.
The
UN
imposed
sanctions
–which
caused
terrible
suffering
to
the
Iraqi
people,
but
which
failed
to
dislodge
Saddam
from
power.
Special
relationship
-‐ George
Bush
Snr
was
the
USA’s
President.
He
had
replaced
Ronald
Reagan
in
1989.
