NATO before the Korean War
Subtitle: April 1949-June 1950
By: Lawrence S. Kaplan
Series: New studies in U.S. foreign relations
Publisher: Kent State University Press
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Kent, Ohio
Language: eng
Number of pages: 216
ISBN-13: 9781606351697
Subjects: World politics; North Atlantic Treaty Organization; History
Description: Conventional wisdom has the Korean War putting the "O" in NATO. Prior to that time, from the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on April 4, 1949, to the North Korean invasion of South Korea on June 25, 1950, the Treaty allies were just going through the motions of establishing an organization. Historian Lawrence Kaplan argues that this is a mistaken view, and he fills significant blanks in the record of 1949 and 1950, which NATO officials and analysts alike have largely ignored. When the Treaty was signed, the United States hailed the end of its isolationist tradition, as it recognized the necessity of devising new means to cope with the menace of Soviet-led Communism. It was interested in creating a new order in the Old World that would open the way to a united Europe. Toward this end, the allies crafted a transatlantic bargain. In its simplest form, the bargain involved a U.S. commitment to rebuild, economically and militarily, a Western Europe devastated by World War II. In exchange for America's abandonment of its customary abstention from Europe, the Western allies would take steps to end Europe's traditional divisions and integrate its resources on every level. The sheer magnitude of the mutual obligations received widespread attention on both sides of the Atlantic as well as within the Communist bloc. The Korean War's impact on the development of the organization marginalized the prewar history of NATO.--
Notes: Includes bibliographical references.
Table of contents: title: Origins of the alliance; title: Toward ratification, April-July 1949; title: Mutual Defense Assistance Program, July 1949-January 1950; title: The North Atlantic Council at work, September 1949-January 1950; title: Winter uncertainties, January-March 1950; title: To the summit, April-May 1950; title: The shock of 6/25/50; title: Conclusion.