9 6 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁believed ▁in ▁a ▁strong ▁" Special ▁Rel ations hip " ▁with ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁wanted ▁to ▁highlight ▁his ▁deal ings ▁with ▁the ▁White ▁House ▁to ▁strength en ▁his ▁own ▁prest ige ▁as ▁a ▁states man . ▁President ▁Ly nd on ▁Johnson ▁dis lik ed ▁Wilson , ▁and ▁ignored ▁any ▁ ▁" special " ▁relationship . ▁Johnson ▁needed ▁and ▁asked ▁for ▁help ▁to ▁maintain ▁American ▁prest ige , ▁but ▁Wilson ▁offered ▁only ▁lu ke w arm ▁ver bal ▁support ▁for ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War . ▁Wilson ▁and ▁Johnson ▁also ▁differ ed ▁sharp ly ▁on ▁British ▁economic ▁weak ness ▁and ▁its ▁decl ining ▁status ▁as ▁a ▁world ▁power . ▁Histor ian ▁Jonathan ▁Col man ▁con cludes ▁it ▁made ▁for ▁the ▁most ▁uns atisf actory ▁" special " ▁relationship ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁century . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁econom ies ▁of ▁Western ▁Europe ▁recovered , ▁European ▁leaders ▁increasing ly ▁sought ▁to ▁rec ast ▁the ▁al liance ▁as ▁a ▁partners hip ▁of ▁equals . ▁This ▁tr end , ▁along ▁with ▁Johnson ' s ▁conc ili atory ▁policy ▁towards ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ▁and ▁his ▁es cal ation ▁of ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁War , ▁led ▁to ▁f ract ures ▁within ▁NAT O . ▁Johnson ' s ▁request ▁that ▁NAT O ▁leaders ▁send ▁even ▁token ▁forces ▁to ▁South ▁Vietnam ▁were ▁denied ▁by ▁leaders ▁who ▁lack ed ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁region . ▁West ▁Germany ▁and ▁especially ▁France ▁purs ued ▁independent ▁foreign ▁policies , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1