Transformation of foreign policy relations between Great Britain and the South African Republic in the 1950s – 1970s: causes and features

Introduction. On a global scale, the African continent was of exceptional economic and political value to the European metropolises. For the UK, the South African region has traditionally been particularly attractive, providing British capital with monopoly sales markets, the main sources of raw materials for the development of strategic industries and the most profitable areas for investment. The intention of Britain to strengthen both its economic and military-political presence in traditional zones of influence across the continent and, above all, in the most industrially developed Union of South Africa, determined the direction of its foreign policy strategy and contributed to the establishment of strong bilateral relations between the countries. At the same time, they have been developing for a long time in the context of a historically established approach. The main aspects of political and economic activities of the Southern Administrative District were formed with account of interests of the metropolis. The nature of foreign policy relations was significantly influenced by both the apartheid system, which has been developing in South Africa since 1948, and the system of racial discrimination in general, which arose in South Africa back in the 17th century. Materials and Methods. The main sources for writing the article are the transcripts of the sessions of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, legal acts of the South African Republic, Great Britain and the UN. Both general scientific methods, such as analysis and comparison, and special methods, like problemchronological and historical-comparative, were used in writing the article. Analysis. The article examines the main stages of the development of relations between Great Britain and the South African Republic from the late 1940s to the early 1970s. It analyzes the reasons for the gradual change in the policy vectors of both countries after South Africa withdrew from the Commonwealth of Nations. The article also tracks the trends of the decline in the economic influence of the UK in the region. Results. The image and position of Great Britain on the African continent were largely ensured by the Commonwealth member countries, including South Africa. After the country left the Commonwealth in 1961, Great Britain at the international level, firstly, resisted the sanctions imposed on South Africa, and secondly, pressured the Republic's political and economic decision-making processes in the interests of London. Nevertheless, by the mid-1970s, the domestic political situation in South Africa had changed and the fact of the withdrawal of the Republic from the influence of Great Britain became quite obvious. This led to a weakening of the strategic positions of the United Kingdom in the South African region.