Xu, Ruike
Persistence of Anglo-American Special Relationship in the Post-Cold War Era
The Anglo -American Special Relationship was born during the era of the Second World War, mature during the era of Cold War and has been persisting during the era of Post-Cold War manifesting unmatched adaptability. It is a rare phenomenon in the international relations where most alliances are short-lived that, as an informal alliance, the Anglo -American Special Relationship not only has managed to survive almost 70 years, but also has marvellously succeeded in keeping its vitality. On the one hand, the Anglo-American Special Relationship has been a tool of the US to maintain its predominance in the contemporary international system; on the other hand, it has been the indispensable component in the “Three Circles“ which has been the cornerstone of British foreign policy since the end of the Second World War. It is largely due to the purpose of coping with the external threats which once threatened the survival of both the US and the UK, that is, the fascism of Germany, Italy and Japan and the Soviet communism, that the Anglo-American Special Relationship was born and became mature. When the external threats which once threatened the survival of these two countries was gone with the end of Cold War, why the Anglo-American Special Relationship remains persistent in the Post-Cold War era? By the use of alliance theory, this thesis tries to analyse the reasons of the persistence of it in the Post-Cold War era.
Research Supervisors
Professor Wyn Rees and Alex Danchev
Primary Funding Source
Scholarship of CSC (China Scholarship Council) and University of Nottingham
Research Interests
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Trans-Atlantic security relations
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Anglo-American special relationship