Western Europe versus the United States?

Abstract

Two renowned statesmen, John Kennedy and Charles de Gaulle, did most to symbolise a lingering difference in attitude towards the Atlantic nexus. The French President called for a European Europe — one devoid of American influence. The American President, on the contrary, advocated an Atlantic partnership that would bring the two sides of the North Atlantic more closely together.

This essay was first published as an article, ‘A Marriage of Inconvenience’, in Foreign Affairs (New York, Jan 1963). It constituted the final section of a symposium to which the other contributors were Dean Acheson, Christian A. Herter, Henry A. Kissinger and Malcom W. Hoag.

Some passages from that article were paraphrased by the writer in several chapters of a previous book. A number of these, with minor revisions in style, are, with others, here brought together again.