Relations between the United States and Europe from the Second World War to today

The United States have always cultivated relations with European countries, especially with the part Western of the continent And after the Second World War the relationships have strengthened to a significant extent. The United States, under the guidance of President Harry Truman, favored the economic and social recovery of the Old Continent through the Marshall floor; In addition, they have become a sort of “protector” of Western Europe, through NATO, dealing with his defense. In the following decades, the United States entertained tight relationships both with European institutionsand with i individual countriesexercising a sort of cultural hegemony and interfering, in some cases, in the internal events of the States. For example, the alliance between Italy And the United States has its roots in the history of the Second World War, when American support was decisive for postbellic reconstruction. The end of the Cold War and globalization have changed the picture of the situation and today in the States there are those who see Europe not as an ally, but like a competitor.

United States and European countries: the turning point of the Second World War

Economic and cultural relations between the United States and European countries have always existed, however, until the 1940s, American public opinion did not want the country to be involved in events concerning the old continent and therefore a isolationist approach. The Second World War completely changed the scenario: after the conflict, the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as the only superpowers and Europe became the scene of a struggle for hegemony. Based on the agreements entered into during and after the war, the continent was in fact divided into Two spheres of influence: the western part that constituted the American sphere; The eastern part that was subject to the Soviet Union.

The relationships between the United States and the countries of Western Europe were not equal, but based on American hegemony: the USA were in fact clearly more developed in economic terms, Also because the war had not been fought on their territory and had not undergone damage at a territorial level, and more strong on the military level.

The Marshall plan and the political interference

After the war, the United States needed their European allies to restore and become reliable partners on the economic, political and military level. For this reason, in 1947, the American administration launched theEuropean Recovery Programbetter known as Marshall floorfrom the name of the Secretary of State, George C. Marshall, who proposed it. The program, which lasted up to 1952provided to provide financial assets and support for European States. Overall, the United States paid about 14 billion dollarsdivided proportionally between 16 countries. Italy was one of the largest beneficiaries and obtained 1204 million dollars in total.

The Soviet Union and the countries of the Eastern Block, which had been proposed to participate in the program, refused for fear that economic aid entailed American interference in their internal affairs. And actually in Western Europe the Marshall plan, while facilitating the economic recovery, guaranteed the United States one strong political influence.

Military cooperation: NATO is born

After the Second World War, the United States became a sort of “protectors” of western Europe on a military level. In the 1949 the BORN (Organization of the North Atlantic Treaty), a military alliance between United States, Canada and Western European countries. The treaty provided (and still provides) that, if one of the members suffers an attack from a third country, the entire alliance must mobilize in its favor. In essence, NATO was born to avoid attacks in Western Europe by the USSR. In fact, with the establishment of NATO, Western Europe “Contracted” his defense to the United Stateswhich installed military bases in numerous countries, including Italy. Not all public opinion, however, accepted that the states of the old continent renounced to play an autonomous role in international dynamics: for this reason, in the 1960s two countries, the United Kingdom and France, equipped themselves in turn with nuclear weapons; In 1966, also, France decided to leave the Integrated Command of NATO. Nonetheless, The USA in fact remained hegemonicin terms of military cooperation, compared to all western Europe.

The cultural hegemony of the USA on European countries: the soft power

The United States exercised a significant cultural hegemony On European countries, even cinema and other cultural products, such as music, have meant that they became a point of reference and, in many respects, a model for European citizens. The admiration for the States has undergone acrack from the 70sdue to the war in Vietnam and subsequent military operations carried out by the Americans, and the hegemony was not total. However, the soft power American has never failed and still persists today.

European integration and commercial relations

Since the origins, the United States have looked favor to European integration, considered a tool Useful in comparison with the Soviet bloc. Already in the 1950s, Americans took relations with the first European bodies, such as the European Coal and Steel Communityborn in 1951, and later they actively cooperated with the European Economic Community (born in 1957) and with the European Union (born in 1992). In addition, over the years they have cultivated very close commercial relations with individual European countries.

Relationship between the USA and Europe after the Cold War

In the 90s, the end of the Cold War completely changed international balances. The States of Eastern Europe They “approached” progressively to the western block, entering NATO and becoming commercial partners of the United States, which in this way have extended their influence over the whole continent. The relationships of political and economic cooperation between the two banks of the Atlantic have strengthened and different have been signed since the 90s Agreements between the United States and European institutions. Not all projects, however, have been completed, for example the idea of ​​establishing a Trasatlantica free trade areaadvanced in recent years, has never been concretized. Even from a political and military point of view, there were some divergences: think that during the “War to terrorism“Unleashed by the Bush administration after the attacks of 11 September 2001, some European countries supported the invasion of Iraq, while others declared themselves against.

The end of the Soviet “threat” and globalization meant that the United States felt they had “less need “in many respects, of Europe. A part of the American public opinion considers European countries as competitors, not as a partner, and considers it wrong to guarantee them military support. The president’s anti -European approach to these ideas Donald Trump.