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  4. Participation of the United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Participation of the United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

Contents

  1. For previous documentation, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. iii, pp. 1 ff.↩
  2. At its Sixth Session at Brussels, December 18–19, 1950, the North Atlantic Council completed arrangements for the establishment of an integrated European defense force under a Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR). At the request of the Council, President Truman made available General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower to serve as SACEUR while at the same time assuming operational command of all U.S. forces in the European area. On December 19 General Eisenhower named Lt. Gen. Alfred M, Gruenther as his Chief of Staff and announced his intention of making a preliminary trip to France in January 1951 and of establishing his headquarters (SHAPE) somewhere near Paris soon thereafter. For documentation on the designation of General Eisenhower as SACEUR, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. iii, pp. 1 ff.↩
  3. Throughout 1951, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization was much concerned with the interrelated problems of creating a command structure for the Atlantic and European areas under its responsibility and the geographic expansion of the Organization to the fringes of the Middle East to include Greece and Turkey. The documentation in the following pages focuses upon the diplomatic and politico-military aspects of these problems. In the preparation of this compilation the editors have felt it necessary and appropriate to concentrate their attention upon the files of the Department of State. For papers and exchanges on earlier considerations of Greek and Turkish membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. iii, pp. 1 ff.↩