The Changing Nature of Soviet and American Relations with Western Europe

Abstract

A condition of American hegemony acceptable when Europe was too weak to provide for its own security became less acceptable as the European states regained their strength, confidence, and nationalist elan. American policy- makers adopted an ideology of European unity and North Atlantic community in which the principle of partnership was effectively negated by failure to extend a genuine consultative role to Europe. Excessive influence of strategic analysis and political insensitivity in the State Department lost America the chance to associate an outward-looking Europe with it in the co-operative development of policies toward the Soviet Union and the Third World. Instead, the continental European states look askance upon the détente and nuclear agreements as an attempt to freeze them in a state of permanent inferiority. Russia has taken advantage of the détente to improve its relations with western Europe. Unable to dominate Europe politically, Russia has adopted a traditional divide-and-rule strategy, using the fear of a reunified and revanchist Germany to maintain influence and control. If the United States is not to lose entirely its ability to influence Europe, it must restore Europe's confidence in its policies by taking as great pains with European-American relations as have recently gone into Soviet-American relations.