In 1953, the Cold War took a new turn. The year brought three important changes that would each have a direct impact on American military forces in Europe.
In January, a new president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, assumed the role as commander in chief with a level of military experience far surpassing that of any of his predecessors since Ulysses S. Grant.
Two months later, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin died without leaving a clearly designated successor, forcing U.S. intelligence services to speculate on what effect the transition might have on the situation in Europe.
Finally, on July 27, after more than two years of talks, negotiators in P'anmunjom agreed to an armistice in Korea.
A military career that began in 1915, included service in two World Wars, and culminated in the role of supreme commander in Europe, gave Eisenhower ample stature to consider himself as an expert in military affairs.
Building on that background, the new president came into office convinced that a strong economy was the true source of national security. He believed that the Soviet Union and its satellites could never defeat the United States as long as the latter retained its superiority in productive capacity, so he encouraged military leaders to design a security policy and force structure that the nation could support over the long haul: enough to provide adequate security, but not so much as to damage the growth and stability of the nation's economy.
In May 1953, the new president convened a conference of scientists, statesmen, and military experts to evaluate possible national strategies for dealing with Communist expansionism.
The new administration ended up adopting a strategic course it described as the New Look. This approach aimed at providing a sturdy military posture that the nation could maintain over an extended period of time, what Eisenhower referred to as "the long haul."
The policy emphasized airpower and a reliance on atomic weapons and stressed that they would be employed in the event of general war.
To avoid any kind of war, the administration would rely on a combination of covert activities, psychological warfare, and propaganda to keep the Soviets off balance and to counter their efforts to intimidate the West.
We'll be highlighting U.S. Army Europe's history over the next 4 weeks as we countdown to our 75th birthday. Follow along with #75Strong!
---
About us: U.S. Army Europe is uniquely positioned in its 51 country area of responsibility to advance American strategic interests in Europe and Eurasia. The relationships we build during more than 1,000 theater security cooperation events in more than 40 countries each year lead directly to support for multinational contingency operations around the world, strengthen regional partnerships and enhance global security.
Social Sharing