Answer :
Final answer:
The UK failed to join the EEC in 1961 mainly because of a veto by French President Charles de Gaulle. He doubted the UK's commitment to European integration, feared that British membership would increase US influence in the EEC, and thought that UK's extensive trade with its Commonwealth nations might conflict with the EEC's agricultural policy.
Explanation:
The UK's failure to join the EEC (European Economic Community) in 1961 can be attributed primarily to the veto by French President, Charles de Gaulle. de Gaulle doubted the UK's commitment to European integration, as the UK had declined the original invitation to join the EEC when it was formed in 1957. He also feared that British membership would increase US influence in the EEC, as the UK was closely allied with the US through NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Moreover, the UK had extensive trade links with its Commonwealth nations, which de Gaulle thought might conflict with the EEC's Common Agricultural Policy. It was only in 1973 that the UK eventually joined the EEC, with the support of de Gaulle's successor, Georges Pompidou.
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