ABSTRACT
Sir Pierson John Dixon, the most subtle mind in Whitehall, according to the Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, had enjoyed a rapid rise through the ranks of the diplomatic service before he was appointed to head the British delegation at the United Nations. After the Suez crisis, Harold Macmillan embarked on a policy of restoring the Anglo-American special relationship, ruthlessly exploiting his Second World War association with President Dwight Eisenhower. In order to prevent any possible strain in Anglo-French relations which American actions may have caused, Macmillan gave a speech in which he publicly acknowledged the nuclear status of France. As one astute observer noted, Macmillan went out of his way to give his blessing to French nuclear policy, declaring in the House of Commons that France is a nuclear power and the British Government understand the reason. On 31 January 1963, the US National Security Council Executive Committee convened to re-evaluate the situation in Europe.
