The Anglo-American relationship throughout the 20th century underwent a significant transformation, evolving from a period of American neutrality and British imperial strength to one of American global pre-eminence, with Britain often acting as a key, albeit subordinate, ally.
This shift was marked by complex geopolitical motivations, economic interdependencies, and evolving cultural dynamics.
#### Early 20th Century: From Neutrality to Covert Alliance
At the outset of the 20th century, particularly during World War I, the United States maintained an official stance of neutrality. This neutrality, however, did not impede trade, as Britain purchased vast quantities of arms from America, despite running low on funds to pay for them.
A substantial German and Irish population in the United States harboured animosity towards the English, leading to a reluctance to support the war effort on Britain's behalf. President Woodrow Wilson faced a considerable challenge in asking Americans of German descent to enlist and fight Germans for the British cause.
Despite official neutrality, an underhand and clandestine level of cooperation existed between the American and British navies during World War I.
This cooperation was so discreet that most of the American administration remained unaware of its extent, with only the President himself knowing the full scope of activities.
Actions such as firing on unsighted German submarines in the North Atlantic, while officially neutral, demonstrated a deeper alignment. It was noted that this clandestine naval collaboration represented one of the few instances where the Americans genuinely behaved as a "special friend" to Britain, driven by an atavistic business of blood and language.
British figures like Winston Churchill attempted to foster a perception of the British and Americans as "one people" or "family," though the reality often depicted a stark foreignness between the two nations.
This initial period set the stage for a relationship where, despite public postures, practical interests and covert operations often dictated the true nature of engagement.
#### Mid-20th Century: The Rise of American Hegemony
World War II solidified America's position as a global power. The United States was largely responsible for defeating Hitler, which in turn allowed it to assert influence over half of Europe.
The post-war -The Good War Narrative - particularly in America, propagated the myth that American government actions were the primary cause of the Soviet Union's collapse, despite the USSR decaying from within. This belief fostered a triumphalist view of American power and its capacity to spread democracy through aggressive intervention.
In the immediate post-war period, American influence permeated various aspects of European life. The imposition of Jazz in Germany during the occupation, often featuring Black American Jazz acts, was an early instance of cultural imperialism.
This cultural penetration extended to advertising methods, developed by figures like Edward Bernays, a nephew of Sigmund Freud, who pioneered techniques to manipulate masses through understanding their unconscious desires.
Bernays’ methods swept through Britain, with American products and ideals quickly becoming fashionable, effectively conquering British society in terms of aspirations and desires.
This process, which began even before World War II, intensified after it, leading to the Americanisation of European minds.
The Nuremberg Trials, while publicly presented as a display of justice, were controversial in America at the time, with some politicians arguing they lacked fundamental principles of justice recognisable in Anglo-American legal tradition.
The de-Nazification efforts were later scaled back in the early 1950s, as "good bureaucrats and businessmen" were deemed necessary to build a strong state against the Soviet threat.
The United States, having transitioned to a mass industrial society, faced concerns about overproduction, which further propelled the need to cultivate consumer desires through marketing and public relations.
American foreign aid, such as loans to Nkrumah in Ghana, was used as a "powerful weapon" to ensnare and influence the policies of recipient nations, revealing a strategic use of economic leverage.
British leaders often found themselves in a challenging position, continuously seeking an angle against the Americans. Winston Churchill, for instance, operated on the assumption that Americans would offer Britain a fair deal due to their perceived camaraderie.
However, the post-war reality saw Britain becoming increasingly reliant on the United States, effectively riding American coattails, and acting as the little brother to the US.
Britain, which should be considered the worst-run country in the Western World since World War II, found its influence diminished to providing soft power and a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for American interests.
#### Late 20th Century: Managing Decline and American Ascendancy
The Cold War era saw the deepening of American global strategy, often involving the support of dictators who could contain revolutionary forces, even at the cost of human rights.
Project Democracy, initiated under Ronald Reagan, openly promoted democracy abroad but also facilitated the overthrow of American allies and illegally funded groups like the Contras through arms sales to Iran and drug smuggling.
This strategy demonstrated a willingness to undermine democratic ideals at home in the pursuit of enforcing American ideals of freedom abroad.
The Thatcher-Reagan Years exemplified the evolving Anglo-American Partnership. During the Falklands War despite official British neutrality, the US provided significant underhand and clandestine support to the British Navy.
This assistance, largely unknown to the broader American administration, was considered a private debt to be repaid later for British help in World War II.
However, this "special friend" dynamic was not without its tensions; Margaret Thatcher's failure to support President Reagan in Grenada caused a bitter reaction in America, indicating that the relationship was conditional and often driven by American expectations of reciprocal support.
Thatcher's economic policies, inspired by Churchill's (often fictional) vision of British history built on Individualism and liberal economics, led her to cozy up to America, opening up Britain to global markets and foreign investment.
This transition saw Britain's corporate landscape become more akin to the American way of doing things, characterised by direct business practices and a "what's in it for me" ethos.
Figures like James Goldsmith, a corporate raider who left Britain in disgust for America, became instrumental in breaking down the *"old system of power"* in the US, ushering in an era where wealth and power were increasingly determined by the marketplace.
The concept of "perception management" became central to American foreign policy. This involved convincing the American public that perceived threats were existential, thus justifying aggressive policies.
This approach, advocated by figures like Leo Strauss, sought to rescue the country from moral decay by creating *"simplistic fictions" that portrayed the Soviet Union as the "centre of all evil"* and America as the world's sole rescuer.
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 were seen by many in the West as the triumph of liberal democracy and the *"end of history,*" a belief that flattered America and masked underlying structural issues.
The concept of [[Shock Therapy]], initially applied in Russia to dismantle state control and privatise industries, was later implemented in Iraq after the 2003 invasion, with similar devastating effects on civic structures and the emergence of insurgency.
This narrow interpretation of freedom, unable to account for societal complexities and group identities, often led to violence and torture in attempts to enforce it.
#### Journalism and the "Boomer Truth Regime"
Throughout the 20th century, the relationship between government and the press evolved from a degree of independence to a close partnership, particularly in times of war. In World War I, war correspondents were **forced to adhere to official narratives.**
By World War II, the press in Britain and America often functioned as an adjunct of the government, actively suppressing uncomfortable truths to maintain morale and support for the war effort.
This process involved removing facts from information to create Propaganda. The "miracle of Dunkirk" was a classic example, where defeat was reframed as a heroic evacuation.
This systematic control of information contributed to what became known as The Boomer Truth Regime, a pervasive narrative where the outcome of World War II (victory) justified all actions, regardless of facts or logic.
The demonisation of enemies, particularly in World War II, became a prevalent feature of propaganda, transforming conflicts into battles between "good and evil".
In the post-war era, the once-heroic image of the journalist declined, replaced by figures who often acted as "stenographers for power".
Politicians like Tony Blair consciously adopted American marketing techniques, focusing on perception management where perception is as important as the reality.
This approach, coupled with the increasing influence of figures like Edward Bernays, led to a political system that sought the Engineering of Consent by manipulating public opinion rather than engaging in rational discourse.