Awakenings: The impact of the Vietnam War on west German-American relations in the 1960s

This dissertation analyzes the impact of the Vietnam War on West German-American relations during the Lyndon B. Johnson administration. As a significant out-of-area conflict, the Vietnam War contributed to the declining cohesion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in the 1960s and to the subsequent reconfiguration of its power structure. Consequently, the Federal Republic of Germany reduced American tutelage and emerged as a more mature and equal partner within the alliance.; This study adds to the international history of the Vietnam War by examining the war's impact on one of the most important U.S. allies in Europe and its relations with the United States. It also makes a valuable contribution to the internationalization of U.S. diplomatic history by illustrating the Federal Republic's reception of U.S. foreign policy. Because of the project's focus on alliances politics, particularly alliance cohesion and management, it transcends the boundaries between history and political science, thereby advancing interdisciplinary research.; The negotiations surrounding the Multilateral Force, the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the offset problem and American troop levels in West Germany, and the Federal Republic's reunification policy serve as case studies to demonstrate that the Vietnam War increasingly provided the lens through which both West German and American policymakers perceived alliance issues. The Federal Republic's fear of abandonment, of U.S. distraction in Southeast Asia, and of guilt-by-association influenced its assessment of America's behavior toward the alliance.; The United States' conduct during the Vietnam War also contributed to the disillusionment of the West German public with its main ally. An increasing number of West Germans voiced opposition to Johnson's Vietnam policy and demanded that their government dissociate itself from this policy, denying it economic as well as moral support. This growing disapproval of U.S. policies in Southeast Asia provided the environment in which the West German government formulated its domestic and foreign policy. The Federal Republic's "awakening" in the 1960s rendered it a more independent state that accepted increasing responsibility for alliance politics and for its national foreign policy objectives.