NATO and the Nuclear Revolution: A Crisis of Credibility, 1966-1967
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Author Description
This book deals with the crucially imprtant NATO crises of 1966-67--a period when a number of issues which had been developing for some time within NATO came to a head. It concentrates on the intensive reorientation of NATO strategy from the departure of France from the integrated military command to the adoption of Flexible Response and the Hermel report on the Future Tasks of the Alliance.The author sets out the diplomacy of this period in a broader historical and theoretical context and provides four detailed, and related, case studies. The first case deals with problems of doctrine stemming from American determination to reduce NATO's dependence on what it believed to be incredible nuclear threats and the European resistance to any diminution of the US nuclear guarantee. The second case considers the attempt to ease European concerns about dependence on American nuclear policy. The third examines the programmatic consequences of the strategic shift. Finally, there is an analysis of the process by which the Harmel Report was set up to establish political guidance for the Alliance in the context of the French withdrawal and the move to detente.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the critical credibility crisis within NATO during 1966-1967, specifically focusing on the alliance's strategic reorientation following France's withdrawal from the integrated military command. Helga Haftendorn, a scholar of international relations and security policy, utilizes diplomatic records and historical analysis to examine the transition toward the policy of Flexible Response. The text argues that this period was a pivotal juncture where the alliance had to reconcile American nuclear doctrine with European security anxieties.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Detailed analysis of the transition from massive retaliation to the strategy of Flexible Response.
- Examination of the political and strategic implications of France's departure from the NATO integrated military command.
- Four distinct case studies covering nuclear doctrine, European security concerns, and the development of the Harmel Report.
- An assessment of the diplomatic efforts to establish long-term political guidance for the alliance during the onset of detente.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars and historians frequently cite this text as a foundational resource for understanding the internal mechanics of NATO during the mid-Cold War era. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous examination of the diplomatic tensions defining the period.
Page Count:
464
Publication Date:
1996-07-25
Publisher:
Clarendon Press
ISBN-10:
0198280033
ISBN-13:
9780198280033
History
Cold War
Nuclear weapons
International relations
Europe
Military History
Armed Forces
United States
Community Tags
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