Britain under Attlee, 1945–51

Abstract

In some respects, most British people seem to have had a fairly realistic view of Britain’s postwar position in the summer of 1945. According to a Gallup poll, the United States were seen as the most influential country in world affairs by 38 per cent, followed by the Soviet Union (31 per cent) and Britain (14 per cent). In the same survey, 52 per cent thought that the atomic bomb would make war less likely in the future. A remarkable 51 per cent were prepared to see the abolition of national armies in favour of an international force.¹