Abstract

Nassau Agreement, reached by the U.S. and U.K. in 1962, timely had resolved a“missile crisis”caused by the U.S. government’s abortion of Skybolt missile. Public opinion at the time and many later studies believed, that the Agreement was an effort of the U.S. attempting to end the independence of the British nuclear deterrence, and therefore Britain’s“nuclear dependence”on the U.S. had been exacerbated. Yet, ending the independence of the British nuclear deterrence was not the intent of the U.S. government, and Britain’s“nuclear dependence”on the U.S. was relatively rather than absolutely, which was the“dependence for independence”. It’s no exaggeration to say, Nassau Agreement was a landmark in the development of the Anglo-American nuclear alliance and another an example of the“special relations”between the U.S. and U.K., also revealed the complexity of this relationship.

Keyword: Nassau Agreement; missile crisis; Anglo-American nuclear alliance; special relationship

between the U.S and U.K.

Published on Journal of Capital Normal University(Social Sciences Edition),May 2022.