ABSTRACT
In the glow of victory the British people could be forgiven for believing that Britain was still a Great Power. After all, had not Britain successfully beaten off the mortal threat of German armed might virtually single-handed? Had not Britain’s own forces played a significant role in the defeat of the Axis? Was not her membership of the Big Three of the Grand Alliance indicative of her status? And when the fighting stopped, were there not clear confirmations of Britain’s status in the recovery of the Empire in full measure, zones of occupation in Germany and Austria, and one of the five permanent seats in the Security Council of the newly-founded United Nations Organization?
