Shared Conflict - The Steadfast Alliance
A brief history of the Steadfast Alliance, kindly put together for the AFF by supporter Robert Shapiro
In his Farewell Address of 1796, George Washington warned his fellow Americans to avoid “foreign entanglements,” and for more than a century the United States did just that. However, in 1898, following a successful with against Spain, the United States acquired far-flung territories, became a world power, and could no longer be isolated from the rest of the world. British and American troops fought side by side in several conflicts in the first half of the twentieth century and had a close level of military cooperation in both World War I and World War II.
Winston Churchill, whose mother was an America, not only felt a personal close kinship with his American cousins, but, in two speeches, in 1945 and 1946, noted the “special relationship” of a common language and common history between the two countries. In the sixty five years thereafter, the closeness in military planning and cooperation has been sui generis.
1900 Boxer Rebellion
In 1898 a group in northern China banded together in a secret society to rid China of foreign influence. They were known as the Boxers because they practiced as part of their rituals. In 1899, the Boxers began killing Christian missionaries and in 1900 the Dowager Empress ordered all foreigners killed. American troops joined an eight-nation, international force of 54,000 troops commanded by British Lt. General Alfred Gaselee, which eventually subdued the Boxer rebellion.
The Boxer Rebellion
1917-1918 World War I
On August 4, 1914. Britain went to war against Germany. Americans were divided in their support for the combatants, although with the sinking of the Lusitania, in 1915 and reports of German atrocities, many Americans sided with Great Britain. By 1918, when the United States entered the war more than 25,000 Americans were already serving in the Canadian forces in Europe and another 15,000 were serving in other British contingents elsewhere. Over one million American soldiers, under the command of General John J. Pershing joined the four million British combatants to help defeat the Germans.
World War I: a tank and infantry, Advance at Bapaume
1918-1920 Intervention in Russia
After the defeat of Germany the Allied forces openly supported the anti-Bolshevik White Russian army in the Russian Revolution. Britain had 40,000 troops and the United States had 13,000 troops occupying Archangel and Vladisvostok.
Allied troops parade in Vladivostok, 1918
1939-1945 World War II
When war broke out in Europe in 1939, the United States, although officially “neutral” provided vital war material and financial support to Great Britain. After the unprovoked Japanese attack on the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 8, 1941, the next day, United States declared war on Japan and joined the global conflict. From 1942 to 1943 millions of American men and American munitions made their way over to the Great Britain serving under a Combined Chiefs of Staff which commanded all American and British military operations.
A loaded allied LST approaching the beach during the Normandy invasion
1946-1949 Berlin Blockade and Airlift
After the Soviet Union blocked Western access to West Berlin, the British Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force flew over 200,000 flights to carry supplies to West Berlin which eventually broke the Soviet Blockade.
A Douglas C-54/DC-4 "Rosinenbomber" approaches Tempelhof during the Berlin Airlift
1950-1953 Korean Conflict
Following the North Korean invasion of South Korea, the United Nations under the command of United States General Douglas MacArthur eventually pushed the North Koreans back beyond the 38th Parallel; even though an armistice was signed in 1953, a state of war still exists between North and South Korea. While the United States provided most of the combat troops, the British Army also participated in battles in the Korean conflict.
Korea: M4A3E8 "Sherman" Tank of Company B, 72nd Tank Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, fires its 76mm gun at enemy bunkers on "Napalm Ridge", in support of the 8th ROK Division
1991 Gulf War
Iraq, under the leadership of Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait in 1990. Beginning in January 1991, the United States led a coalition of 34 nations including Great Britain to drive Iraq out of Kuwait. After six weeks of aerial bombing, and 100 hours of ground operations, Kuwait was liberated and much of southern Iraq were under coalition control. Britain contributed 28,000 troops to this operation.
Remains of an Iraqi tank, Kuwait, 1991, as oilfields burn
1992-1999 Yugoslavia
Both Great Britain and the United States played a prominent role in the United Nations peace-keeping operation in Bosnia and Croatia.
War on Terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq
In response to the September 11, 2001 Islamic terrorist attack on the United States, American forces, with British and other coalition allies, invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 and ousted the Taliban regime. The United Kingdom deployed approximately 4,500 troops in Afghanistan. The United States initially deployed 2,000 troops and by now has approximately 30,000 troops in Afghanistan. In 2003 the United States deployed approximately 250,000 troops in its invasion of Iraq with the support of 45,000 British troops.
British troops in action in Afghanistan. Photo: Ministry of Defence