The Adjustment Of Strategic Triangle Relations Between West Germany,France And The United States In The 1960s

After World War ?,the United States incorporated its plan to revitalize Western Europe into its global strategy to contain the Soviet Union,and actively promoted its European policy by relying on the "special relationship" between Britain and the United States.However,with the contradiction between Britain and the United States in the Suez Canal incident and Britain's passive attitude towards European Union,the special relationship between Britain and the United States had relatively weakened,and the United States had also adjusted the focus of its European strategy.West Germany was situated at the central Europe and at the forefront of confrontation between East and West,so it had prominent geopolitical importance and relied heavily on the security of the United States.Besides,with its strong economic strength,West Germany had become the most important partner of the United States in Europe.At the same time,due to the French-German reconciliation,the axis of France and Germany has become the best choice to promote European integration.France and West Germany had strengthened their position in the U.S.European strategy.After the 1960s,the German-French-American strategic triangle gradually formed and played an important role in the Atlantic Alliance.However,due to the overall weakness of post-war Europe and the strong comprehensive strength of the United States,the importance and dependence of West Germany,France and the United States on the German-France-America strategic triangle are not balanced.West Germany,who was at the forefront of the Cold War confrontation,was facing the reality of national division and weakening of military strength.In order to reunify,West Germany resolutely abandoned neutralism and firmly relied on the powerful nuclear umbrella of the United States.Therefore,the relationship between Germany and the United States was the closest in the triangle.Although France had also become a second-class country,it firmly defended the independence of France's diplomacy and tried to seek France's great power status in the international system in the form of leading European integration,thus,it could become the third world power besides the United States and the Soviet Union.Therefore,France was unwilling to rely on the security protection of the United States,which had led to the conflict between France and the United States in the world hegemony and the marginalization of the relationship between France and the United States in the strategic triangle.France also feared the strong industrial strength of West Germany and insisted on dismembering Germany after the war.However,West Germany needed the help of France to promote European integration to lay a solid foundation for Germany's reunification.France also took advantage of the integration to tie West Germany to the western framework,thus the French-German axis also launched a contest.It was these differences in security interests,great power status and diplomatic autonomy that lead to cooperation and consistency on some issues,and sometimes to greater conflicts.Triangular relations were constantly transformed in the mode of "stable marriage","romantic triangle"" and "three-party coexistence".This is also one of the distinct features of the strategic triangular relations between West Germany,France and the United States.Under the framework of strategic triangle,the relations between West Germany and France and the United States have changed greatly in the 1960s.In the early 1960s,West Germany failed on the issue of the "multilateral nuclear power" program in the United States,reflecting its position and weaker position in the cold war situation.For example,in the multilateral nuclear power program of the United States,West Germany had become a rare Western ally in support of the program because of its heavy dependence on security,but the failure of the multilateral nuclear power program caused by the signing of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons between the United States and the Soviet Union had caused a rare divergence with the United States.France had strongly opposed the model of multilateral nuclear forces since the beginning of West Germany's nuclear rearmament and insisted on the development of France's independent nuclear forces.In addition,France also wanted to restructure NATO with a "three-pronged system" to share the leadership of the United States and Britain over NATO.After being rejected,France even detonated the NATO crisis in 1966 by withdrawing from NATO's military integration institutions.It also pushed West Germany to the difficult situation that it least wanted to face in choosing between the United States and France.Finally,West Germany stood by the United States and resolutely defended the Atlantic Alliance.The way that gave France more help on the European integration agenda restored the balance of the German-French-American triangle.Wise political skills made West Germany rise in the triangle after the NATO crisis and the "Ostpolitik"was the best manifestation of the expansion of West Germany's diplomatic space.However,this policy had aroused the vigilance of France and the United States.They were worried that the excessive closeness between West Germany and the East would make them lose control of West Germany.Because of the uneasiness of the revival of German nationalism,France and the United States were approaching gradually.However,due to the need of their respective policies of detente,the United States had expressed its support for the "Ostpolitik" to promote the success of the Ostpolitik and the detente of the international situation had been achieved.Meanwhile,France still hold a rather skeptical attitude.The German-French-American strategic triangle is a triangular relationship within the alliance's internal diplomatic strategy under the framework of the Atlantic Alliance.Although cooperation and conflict coexist and is not always stable but can remain fighting without breaking.On the other hand,the Atlantic Alliance has always been unequal in diplomacy.The dominant position of the United States determines that the German-French-American strategic triangle has never been an equilateral triangle.The three binary relations promote but also restrict each other.In particular,the contradictory and intimate relationship between France and the United States has had a negative impact on the foreign policy of West Germany,which also strived to seek to expand the diplomatic space in the triangular relationship between Germany,France and the United States by reunifying Germany.