The Brussels Treaty Research Papers

This paper attempts to analyze the Brussels Treaty of 1948 (BT) in terms of its being an artifact of Cold War diplomacy.  We will begin with a discussion of the general conditions prevailing in Europe at the time that this Treaty was promulgated, pass on to an analysis of the language of the Treaty itself, and end by discussing the effect that the Treaty had on the diplomacy immediately subsequent to it.

We can begin with the remark that the BT is somewhat oblique in terms of its statement of purpose.  Its preamble states that the signatory powers will “afford assistance to each other…in maintaining international peace and security,” but the power that was the focus of Western European fears at that time, the Soviet Union, is not named.  Rather, it is Germany that is mentioned—partitioned, impoverished, defeated Germany.  This fact may be seen as indicating both a reticence to do anything that might be deemed remotely confrontational with respect to the Soviet Union, a nation that had been behaving aggressively in recent years and which had engineered a coup d’etat in Czechoslovakia in February of 1948. It can also be taken as an example of the extent to which Europe had been traumatized by German aggression in the two world wars.  The possibility of a resurgent Germany, however remote, was not being completely discounted by European diplomats in 1948.

We should note that the United States was not a signatory to this treaty.  The signatories were Britain, France, and the Benelux countries and the military weight of these countries, taken in the aggregate, could have done very little against the Red Army. We should also remember that, while the Marshall Plan had begun, the Berlin Blockade had not.  The latter event was to begin in June of 1948.  Cohen has noted that the American airlift to the beleaguered city was a demonstration that Harry Truman “could wield America’s might” and “force a feared adversary to bend to his will.”  America’s resolve was demonstrated by the magnificent technical feat that was the airlift.  This was underscored by the basing of sixty long-range strategic bombers (supposedly nuclear capable) in England. Until these things had happened the Europeans had no way of knowing how strong America’s will would be vis a vis resisting Soviet aggression on the continent of Europe.  The BT therefore can be taken as a reflection of a certain degree of anxiety with respect to the strength of the American commitment to the democracies of Western Europe. 

Order The Brussels Treaty World History Research Papers Today...Order Here!

Custom The Brussels Treaty Research Papers from Paper Masters

A research paper is an in-depth examination of The Brussels Treaty. More than just an overview of what was learned on The Brussels Treaty, like a term paper is, a research paper contains analysis of The Brussels Treaty along the lines of organizational theory and relevant published material. Research papers are highly analytical and can often be more than 8 to 10 pages. The key to a good research project is the examination of recently published journal articles and peer-reviewed material on the The Brussels Treaty chosen. Like the name implies, research papers are exactly that, a paper that examines the information that can be found on The Brussels Treaty.