Essays on American politics and foreign policy

By Donald E. Nuechterlein

Donald Nuechterlein is a political scientist and writer who resides near Charlottesville, Virginia. He is the author of numerous books on American politics and foreign policy, including

  • Defiant Superpower: The New American Hegemony, 2005
  • America Recommitted: A Superpower Assesses its Role in a Turbulent World, 2000
  • A Cold War Odyssey, 1997

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Donald Nuechterlein

LECTURE: EUROPE AND THE COLD WAR IN RETROSPECT

(Delivered by Dr. Nuechterlein at a Department of Defense seminar on Europe, June 27, 2006)

JUNE 2006

INTRODUCTION: This presentation is in three parts:

Overview of key events from 1945 to 1990

A personal account of my participation

Conclusions about the historical importance

DEVASTATION IN POSTWAR GERMANY: (Bremen, Hamburg, Berlin)

Relations with Russians in 1946: cordiality, resistance to unified Germany

War Crimes Tribunal's verdict on the top Nazis (1946). View from Nurnberg

Growth of Communist influence in France and Italy (1946-47)

Mood in Berlin turns apprehensive (1947)

Europe reacts favorably to Marshall Plan aid for reconstruction (1947)

Moscow responds with Communist coup in Prague, Berlin Blockade (1948)

Washington counters with NATO pledge to defend Western Europe (1949)

ALLIED UNITY ON KOREA AND COLD WAR: (View from Denmark, Britain)

Denmark abandons prewar neutrality policy, joins NATO (1949)

Britain and France support Korean war and rearmament of Europe (1950)

Iceland joins NATO, but prefers détente with Moscow (View from Reykjavik)

Soviet suppression of 1956 Hungarian revolt sobers Europe, Iceland (1956)

ALLIED DISUNITY ON GERMANY, SOUTHEAST ASIA, AND SUEZ CANAL

France resists rearmed Germany and its NATO membership (1954)

Paris rejects Washington's plea not to abandon Indo-China

Britain and France agree to partition of Vietnam (1954)

Eisenhower denounces Paris and London for secret invasion of Suez (1956)

Khrushchev threatens Berlin, the U-2 incident, demise of détente (1959-60)

NATO SPLITS OVER VIETNAM WAR: (View from Bangkok and Washington)

Kennedy sends troops to Thailand, South Vietnam, (1962)

Johnson expands war, despite European concerns, (1965)

De Gaulle demands U.S. withdraw forces from France (1967)

Britain announces withdrawal of forces from S.E. Asia (1967)

Europe fears U.S. involvement in Asia emboldens Moscow in Europe

THE 1970s: REDUCED U.S. INFLUENCE, EXPANDED SOVIET POWER

Buildup of Soviet military pushes West Germans toward accommodation

European unease over Nixon's forced resignation (View from Britain, 1976)

NATO urges U.S. to provide counter to Soviet SS-20 missiles (1979)

European alarm over Carter's handling of Iran hostage crisis

THE 1980s: EUROPE SUPPORTS REAGAN'S DRIVE TO END COLD WAR

Massive public protests across Europe against US military buildup (1982-83)

Change in Bonn's government cements allied unity. Kohl (Germany), Thatcher (Britain), Mitterrand (France), and Reagan, were the key NATO leaders.

Pershing II and cruise missiles marked Cold War turning point (Oxford, 1983)

Gorbachev's emergence as Soviet leader signaled Moscow's retreat (1985)

Berlin Wall's collapse caused end of Communist regimes in East Europe (1989)

British, French, and Russian fears of German reunification were defused through skillful diplomacy by Bush and Baker (1989-90)

Gorbachev and Bush marked end to Cold War in Washington in 1990.Two months later, Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait. Europe joins war to stop him.

CONCLUSIONS

  1. Western Europe would have collapsed economically if America had not provided large reconstruction aid after 1945. It would also have succumbed to internal Communist parties that received Soviet clandestine support. America and Europe were fortunate that, unlike after World War I, they produced wise and courageous leaders who were able to mold their public opinion.
  2. Victories in war do not guarantee long periods of peace. The Cold War started three years after the end of WWII. The Gulf War started three years after the Berlin Wall fell. And Al-Qaeda attacks on the New York Trade Towers and US embassies in Africa started soon after end of the Gulf War.
  3. Despite its wealth and military power, America finds it difficult to conduct successful military operations without the support of European allies. Yet, except for Britain, Europe has lost its military edge because of lack of public support for military operations and declining defense budgets.
  4. The American public tires of costly wars unless victory is in sight. As a result, many friends abroad question whether America has the steadfastness to sustain a hegemonic superpower role in the 21st century, one that requires the occasional use of its military power to maintain order in an unruly world.

File last modified on Saturday, 01-JUL-2006 01:30 PM EST

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