The United States and Western Europe since 1945. From ’empire’ by invitation to transatlantic drift

Abstract:

This work flows as it seems from the author's preoccupation with the American-Western relationship, and follows earlier works on the same or similar theme.

Chapter one provides the historical background. Chapter two looks at the immediate post-war years and the dependency that Europe experienced as it endeavoured to rebuild its economies with the economic aid of the US, which saw its destiny as a defender of the free world against totalitarianism. That principle was central to the American policy in Europe over the ensuing years 1950-1962 which are covered in chapter three. The strengthening recovery of post-war Europe gave rise to celebrated assertions of political autonomy within Europe, particularly those of de Gaulle who was deeply suspicious of the US hegemony; this is featured in chapter four covering the period 1962-1969.

The changing attitude of post-colonial Europe and the US commitment to combat the growth of communism are the focus of chapter five, which examines issues arising from 'out of area disputes' in the period 1945-1975. The receding threat of the Soviet bloc, the development of détente, increasing evidence of self-doubt and economic decline in the US combined with the rising importance of other trading blocs in the Far and Middle East placed great strains on the relationship, which are examined in chapter six. Relations might have been thought to be at rock bottom but worse was yet to come with the arrival of the Carter administration in the US, and this and other related events during the period 1977-1984 are covered in chapter seven. This side of the pond saw the arrival of Gorbachev at the Kremlin and the changed nature of US-Soviet relations as Reagan relaxed his earlier hard line stance towards the Soviets, which is explored in chapter eight.

The end of the Cold War left the US in total supremacy, yet perhaps at the same time in isolated supremacy. Paradoxically increased globalisation has increased interdependence among sovereign states and none more so than the US; America had a new role to play in Europe and this is explored in chapter nine. The work closes with a chapter on the issues which present challenges to the relationship, hesitating to predict a rosy outlook for its future.

The work will interest scholars and students of International Relations, Political Sciences and historians of the US-Western Europe relationship.

Geir Lundestad is Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, and Adjunct Professor in the Department of History at the University of Oslo.