'Our most dear enemies': Franco-British relations from 1956 to 1973

This thesis will be set in the context of the bipolar nature of the Cold War, where the United Kingdom and France were forced to reposition themselves in relation to the United States of America and the Soviet Union.

With a focus on defence matters, this thesis will argue that British integration in the European Communities, a main sticking point in the bilateral relationship with France, was not possible without agreement first over important military concerns. Thus, this thesis will explore the fallout of the Suez Crisis as a catalyst for separate French and British policies concerning nuclear weapons development. The Anglo-American ‘special relationship’ and the F-I-G negotiations will be investigated as part of these opposing nuclear trajectories, culminating in the signing of the Nassau Agreement in December 1962.