Foreword
At the end of World War II, the United States recognized thatits interests no longer could be confined to its own borders,and that U.S. security was inextricably linked to the future ofWestern European democracies. In 1947, President Harry S Trumanlaunched the Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe and prevent its postwardevastation from becoming a breeding ground for new instability.Then, on April 4, 1949, in Washington, D.C., the United Statesand 11 other nations — Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France,Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,and the United Kingdom — signed the North Atlantic Treaty,to provide for collective self-defense against potential threatsto Western Europe….
