The Image of NATO and the American Public Opinion

Özet

"Isolation" and "Isolationism" are two words which hadshaped American Foreign policy until the beginning of the 19.century. American isolation such as it was, had died about theturn of the century, where as American isolationism has beenin decliııe ever since. It has been in decline promoted by thestrategic realities of the shrinking world in which Americanslive. The system of alliances began simply as a means of formalizing the concept of solidarity of American States. Thisconcept was developed during the presidency of Franklin D.Roosevelt (1932-1945). But the means used for restating thepolicy of Western Hemisphere solidarity provided the framework for the new policy. Early in the Cold War and very shortlyafter the United States actively entered the European arena,the basic strategic ingredient in the European situation wasthe danger of Soviet aggression. Washington soon reached acorrespondingly basic decission that the defence of the Westwas to be based on a 'forward strategy'. This meant the lineNATO would defend against a Soviet assault would be in thezone of initial contact —along the Iron Curtain and the ElbeRiver— rather than along the Rhine after giving up almost alicentral Europe to Soviet forces. This decision carried important and far-reaching implications for future doctrine and policy.(***)