Harmel Report
NATO. Report on the future tasks of the Alliance-Harmel Report 1968, NATO Archives Online
Description:
Pierre Harmel, Belgium foreign minister, submitted the report to the NATO council. Although the official title of the report is “the Future Tasks of the Alliance”, it is often referred to as “Harmel Report”. The report argued for both deterrent and detent. It proposed that NATO should have two functions. First, NATO should maintain military strength to deter possible aggression from the Soviets. Second, it should pursue a more stable relationship with the USSR and Eastern European states and achieve “a greater relaxation of tensions”. Harmel and his work team accentuated the importance of collective defense as a stabilizing factor in international relations. They also advocated for detente policies, saying that the improvement of the relationship between the US and the USSR would be the solution to the political issues in Europe. The report also put considerable emphasis on the problem of German reunification. There would be no stable settlement without solving the question of divided Germany.
Analysis:
The significance of the Harmel Report lies in its inclination to detente policy. The report alleged that the dual functions of NATO, deterrent and detente, were “not contradictory but complementary”. It suggested the necessity for both military security and negotiation. The report also called for arms control in order to promote detente. It seems this report in part determined the subsequent diplomatic direction of NATO member states and encouraged the negotiation toward nuclear disarmament talks. The Treaty of the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT) reached an agreement between the US, UK, and Soviet in 1968. The strategic arms limitation talks (SALT) began in 1969 between the US and Soviet. New Eastern policy that was meant to normalize the diplomatic relations between West Germany and Eastern European bloc was also promoted at about this point. To sum, the Harmel Report marked the era of detente and proposed what the diplomatic strategy of NATO partner states should be.
“But some are more equal than others”
Block, Herbert. But some are more equal than others, 1969, Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/2012637843/
Description:
This editorial cartoon by Herbert Block was published in the Washington Post, February 16, 1969. In the cartoon, a pig wearing a military cap of the USSR holds a gun and whip. The pig stands in front of other animals which represent Soviet satellites such as Rumania, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Poland, Hungary, and West European communist parties. Behind the pig, there is a barn with Soviet symbol of hammer and sickle and the banner “Animal Farm”.
Analysis:
The political cartoonist Herbert Block borrowed an idea from George Orwell’s satirical novel Animal Farm written in 1945. Herblock showed the similarity between Joseph Stalin whom Owell had criticized in his novel and Leonid Brezhnev, the General Secretary of the communist party of the Soviet Union of the time. Herblock described Brezhnev as a ruthless dictator as Stalin. In the novel Animal Farm, animals govern themselves, independent of human farmers. They uphold the ideology of “Animalism” which is the allegory of communism. Animalism says that “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”. Animalism justifies dictatorship by a privileged class and inflicts burden and distress on the rest of entire animals in the farm. By using the idea of Animal Farm, Herblock criticized the Soviet aggression. Herblock condemned Brezhnev for suppressing the democratization movement in Czechoslovakia by dispatching Warsaw Pact troops in 1968. What was criticized in this cartoon was the doctrine of limited sovereignty, so-called Brezhnev Doctrine. Brezhnev tried to justify military intervention in Czechoslovakia by alleging that the interest of the entire Socialist bloc transcends the sovereignty of a state.
Edward C. United States Embassy, Iran Cable from Edward C. Wells to the Department of State. “Motion Pictures–The Film Two Cities,” May 16, 1950.
Edward C. United States Embassy, Iran Cable from Edward C. Wells to the Department of State. “Motion Pictures–The Film Two Cities,” May 16, 1950. https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB78/propaganda%20004.pdf
Description: This is a propaganda in 1950 having priority Aims and Objectives of USIE Program in Iran that enhancing U.S. Prestige and Demonstrating Communist Fallacies. In addition, it suggests Walt Disney might support this propaganda.
Analysis: In particular, America more utilizes the various media for propaganda than Soviet. Actually, it is said that Walt Disney’s Americanization is most remarkable at that time because Hollywood’s output of the 1950s and early 1960s was its promotion of “American” ideals. In particular, Film executives recognize that their main role is to sell “people’s capitalism” all over the world. So, they can shift the idea not deny the communism but spread American ideology like capitalism. In addition, this document is focusing on the Iran cable and therefore United States realize not only the importance of Walt Disney but also the significance of the strategy in the middle east.
Anti-Americanism in the Arab World
Dean, A. Department of State Airgram from Dean Acheson. [Anti-Americanism in the Arab World], May 1, 1950. https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB78/propaganda%20003.pdf
Description: This propaganda was published in May 1,1950 in the Department of State Airgram from Dean Acheson who is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 51st Secretary of State in the Truman administration and shaped American foreign policy in the early years of the Cold War., titled Anti-Americanism in the Arab World. The purpose of this propaganda is to resist Anti-Americanism rising in the middle East at that time.
Analysis: Dean’s policy is relatively generous although the Arab has the ideology of Anti-American. For example, in this article, he mentions that United States should have an attempt to tackle Palestine issues, and what is more he claims that “United States has a sincere interest in maintaining strong relationship with the Arab world”. In short, despite the fact that Arab (or maybe other middle east countries) has a negative attitude toward U.S., Dean tried to find some amicable solution for breakthrough. However, actually, it is said that Atchison’s policy of passive containment against the communist was attacked by Joseph McCarthy and other radical members of the Republican Party. On December 15, 1950, the Republicans in the House of Representatives voted unanimously to remove Atchison from the parliament. In other words, his policy is not accepted in the United States during the Cold War period.
Mutual defense treaty between the United States and the Republic of Korea
Description
The United States and the Republic of Korea confirming their mutual protection from the threats of counter-bloc
Analysis
the separation of North Korea and South Korea led to the US responsibility to maintain democracy in the republic of South Korea to promote deterrent of communist idealism led by the Soviet Union and China, centering its foreign policy on the containment of communism.
The Korean war reached international proportions in 1950 when North Korea, supported by the Soviet Union, invaded the South, and the United Nations, with the United States as the principal participant, joined the war on the side of the South Koreans
The Korean War became the first major battle waged in the name of containment.
The United States and South Korea therefore publicly and formally declared determination to strengthen the peace in the Pacific area got the two nations to contract this treaty.
Department of State Report. “Conference of Middle East Chiefs of Mission (Istanbul, February 14-21, 1951): Agreed Conclusions and Recommendations,” c. February 21, 1951.
Description
U.S. objectives for the Middle East in the cold war
In this report marked the United States’ genuine view on the middle east during the cold war and how they will carry out their strategy so that the middle eastern nations will be cooperative with the West
Analysis
there were anti-americanism prevalent in most Arab-nations. In order for those nations to take on the site of the United States, the United States seek cooperation with those nations by stabilizing the political and social progress. Another objective which is to gain prestige in the middle east comes the first prioritization.
the conference concluded that the United States’ military-political objectives in the middle east during the cold war was to first mobilize strength for the containment of communism, and second, to restore and strengthen confidence in the West, and third build sufficient military strength in each country in order to maintain internal security, and forth to construct and insure the availability of allied air, army bases, the fifth to organize joint staff planning for the defense of the area. Most of these objectives boil down to the United States strategy for the back up by insuring the middle east maximum support of the allied war.
The report also exhibit that the US’s active support to Turkey is based on how Turkey is recognized and important to Middle East defense. By building up Turkey’s economy and dealing with Turkey’s exposed situation, the US aim to to gain regional military cooperation from adjacent receptive regions.
TRANSATLANTIC HISTORY 