Congressional Attitudes on the Future of European Security: The Burden-Sharing Issue in Various Guises

Abstract

The entire structure of post-World War II Europe is changing and many traditional assumptions of U.S. foreign and defense are now open to question. These changes added relevance and urgency to the conventional arms control negotiations and domestic political processes already underway in the U.S. to reduce American military presence in Europe. Additionally, the revolutions in Eastern Europe, the process of German unification and most importantly, the collapse of the Soviet Union itself have raised fundamental questions about European security affiliations and institutions and America’s role in these institutions.