The term “Special Relationship” as applied to the interaction between the United States and the United Kingdom can be deceptive. It immediately implies an almost absolute connection between peers which has the power to transcend the realities of modern international politics and which has no parallels among other like minded countries. This however, is not the case. It is true that the United States and Great Britain share a bond unlike that of most other modern nations states, yet as this paper demonstrates, any such friendship has been questioned and tested to breaking point a number of times. Moreover, it has been extremely one sided, with the Americans being firmly in charge at all times.
The “Specialness” is largely a construct of sentimentality based upon the foundations of a common culture and language laid over three hundred years ago. Despite being propped up by intermittent periods during which leaders from both countries excelled on personal terms, time and time again the Americans have shown themselves to be the ones in the driving seat, paying lip service to the idea of an exceptional partnership and brushing it aside whenever solely US interests are at stake.
Eoin Heaney is a recent graduate of the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna and University College Dublin.
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