Overview

This volume focuses on the formulation of policy by the Eisenhower administration and on the most significant U.S. diplomatic, economic, and military relationships with foreign governments in Western Europe.

During the years 1958–1960, the Department of State had a leading role in the formulation of U.S. policy toward Europe and Canada. Secretaries of State John Foster Dulles and Christian A. Herter drew upon the Department’s expertise in advising President Eisenhower and in taking leading roles in the deliberations of the National Security Council. The Department of State prepared and coordinated exchanges of views and discussions of diverse foreign policy matters with the French, Italian, and British Governments and participated in the nearly 20 heads of government meetings between President Eisenhower and the leaders of the European states. For the most part the Department of State took the initiative in managing foreign relations with the smaller countries of Europe and obtained White House approval only for an occasional major issue.

The volume includes memoranda of conversation between Secretaries of State Dulles and Herter and their European and Canadian counterparts, internal U.S. Government policy recommendations, and decision papers relating to relations with these countries and the several European regional organizations, particularly NATO. Telegrams document the important policy recommendations of U.S. representatives at the Missions in Western Europe. National Security Council memoranda of discussion, policy papers, and other institutional records, as well as more informal foreign policy materials, document U.S. policies toward NATO, Canada, and the countries of Western Europe. The volume also includes policy recommendations by the Joint Chiefs of Staff regarding various major foreign affairs policies.