Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T16:42:37.626Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

2 - Deterrence and Defense

The Stationing of U.S. Troops in Germany and the Implementation of Forward Strategy in Europe, 1950–1967

from Part One - Strategy and Politics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 October 2013

By
Bruno Thoß
Edited by
Thomas W. Maulucci, Jr  and
Detlef Junker
Thomas W. Maulucci, Jr
Affiliation:
State University of New York
Detlef Junker
Affiliation:
Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Germany
Get access

Summary

At the height of the NATO crisis, West German Minister of Defense Kai-Uwe von Hassel stressed that the "principle of forward defense" was the essential precondition of the Federal Republic's co-operation in the alliance. The dilemma NATO confronted became manifest during the summer of 1955 after the press reported on the alliance's exercise Carte Blanche, which was based on premise that nuclear weapons would be used within the territory of the Federal Republic. According to a survey conducted after the exercise, two-thirds of the West German public were opposed to the use of U.S. atomic weapons even in case of a Soviet attack. General Adolf Heusinger tried to calm the public by arguing that deterrence served to prevent wars; the main objective of NATO's strategy was to secure Europe from the Soviets; and everything would be done to protect the German people from the effects of atomic weapons.
Type
Chapter
Information
GIs in Germany
The Social, Economic, Cultural, and Political History of the American Military Presence
 , pp. 55 - 72
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2013

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×