The Second World War (1939-45), in which beleaguered Britain fought Nazi Germany alone for 18 months, saw the USA and USSR emerge as the new 'super powers'. The whole pattern of international politics was being upended and after India and Pakistan gained independence in 1947, Britain's influence on world events declined steeply, By 1949 the term 'British' was being dropped from the Commonwealth's title - but the monarch remained at its head. Nations which had won independence even as republics could remain members, or rejoin, if they acknowledged the Crown as head of the Commonwealth. Burma and Ireland had opted out - but the six counties forming Northern Ireland remained firmly British, and are in continuous and violent conflict with those in both the north and south who wish them to join as one nation.
South Africa was forced to withdraw in 1961 over its racial policies, and Pakistan quit in 1972 when East Pakistan was recognized as Bangladesh. But 49 members remain, and their leaders find plenty of mutual concern to discuss at two-yearly meetings.
The Commonwealth may survive, but Britain has in fact surrendered political control of all but 17 small dependencies: Anguilla; Bermuda; British Antarctic Territory; British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Falkland Islands Dependencies; Gibraltar; Hong Kong; Montserrat; Pitcairn, Ducie, Henderson and Oeno; St. Helena; St. Helena Dependencies (Ascension, Tristan da Cunha); the Isle of Man; Channel Islands; and the Turks and Caicos Islands. Hong Kong is due to return to Chinese rule in 1997, when Britain's '99 year lease runs out.
New naval and military roles more in keeping with Britain's reduced circumstances were evolved with the formation in 1949 of the NATO military alliance. Britain was a founder member and has allowed American airfields, missile-launching sites, submarine bases and radar tracking stations to be established on her soil. Nevertheless, Britain's own numerically small armed forces (about 325 000 strong) retain their own formidable defense and strike capabilities, armed with nuclear submarines, advanced aircraft and high-technology tanks, missiles, guns and communications equipment. There are 55 000 of them in the British Army of the Rhine.
Commitment to Europe in political and economic terms did not come until 1972, when Britain finally joined the European Community. Founded 20 years earlier by France, West Germany, Belgium. Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Italy, it was conceived as a new power bloc - a vehicle for cooperation between members at many levels. In fact it is composed of three organizations - the European Economic Community (EEC or Coin-most Market), European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) and European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). It is now the world's largest trading bloc, accounting for about one-third of all international trade. Britain's entry was achieved only after overcoming some bitter opposition abroad - notably from France - and equally bitter wrangles among her own politicians. Indeed, the internal arguments raged on even after Britain joined, culminating in a national referendum in 1975 -the only one it has ever held - when those wanting to quit the Common Market were substant
ially out-voted.
Reluctance to recognize any authority out-side its own shores is perhaps understandable in a country which proudly proclaims itself ruled by a constitutional monarch and governed by the 'Mother of Parliaments' - a very model of enlightened democracy. Britain has no written constitution and Parliament is the country's supreme legislative body. It has three elements - the Queen, the House of Lords and the House of Commons. The Lords is composed of hereditary and lifetime peers of the realm, the two archbishops and 24 senior bishops of the Church of England, and the 'Law Lords' (Lords of Appeal, senior judges). The 650 Members of the Commons (MPs) are elected by universal adult suffrage -British and Commonwealth citizens aged 18 or over who are resident in the country are eligible to vote in a secret ballot. Irish citizens living in Britain may also vote. Voting is not, however, compulsory, and 73 per cent of the 42 million eligible people voted in the elections of 1983.
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