WESTERN EUROPEAN ATTITUDES TOWARD DEFENSE AGAINST SOVIET AGGRESSION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91T01172R000300290008-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 10, 2006
• Sequence Number: 8
• Publication Date: May 21, 1951
• Content Type: IM

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Intelligence Memorandum
Subjecto Western European Attitudes Tos~ard defense Against Soviet
Aggressiono
to Need for a 1~eassessment
In a seecent statement $o the.presss the Belgian leader Paul-Henri
$p deplored the anti-LTS sentiment that ingrowing in certain European
circles and stated that a clarification of US-B~opean r~lations.~ae
necese~c?y i:n order to produce a wore friendly and equal cooperation be-
twee~a an independent Europe and the tJS o Spaa.~e considers criticism of
the ~S un~raaafied.s but the fact that he felt called upon to make such a
demasad s'a~ggests the, need for a reassessment of Western European attitudes
toted pla~yn fair defense a8e,inat possible Soviet aggressiono
~~ ?I?he General Situation
~.?he proaeimity of each continental Western. Eux?opeaaa country to the. tbBSR
7Pr?viden a dough gauge of the eartent to which it supports stns defense. pro-
gr and the Wsarth Atlantic 3'g?eaty Organi~atione Norway strongly backs -its
defense commit~entn under the NA~3o While-support in the Benelux countries
is lese~ uxyaa~imduss 'a7.1 non-Corot elements in these countries are con-
vinced e~f the wed for st~?engthened national defenses and the trend is
tad e~spaaded defense progr~msb In Benffiarkg most national
the 1QA~~f9s but a residual feels groups support
ng of futility is undermining public support
for.. ~e~mark ?s NA~tJ coaanitment o Recem$ repo~?ts indicate that ~'earmameat is
viewed urith increasing favor in Guys although 'the lack of a definite
goverau~~t progratin ha,ffipers a clear-cut delineation of opinion, A.lthaugh
8"eaeden haffi .not joined WA?I?d,3s its people strongly .back- its defense programmo
In 7~?a~tces the government's ~..ncreasing impatience 'with ~ pressure
for .the fu~.fillment of the conditions attaoked to CIS milita~?y aid and a
S~'o~1.ng desire fare a popular mandate regavding French rearm~aanent give
c~a~eae for doubts concerxaing the extent to xhich the Fx^ench people support
their defense efi'os?t and EATa ~?rangemer~ts a
see mope c~Learl the ~e Italians are beginning to
for. re~~mb y dangers of a Soviet invasion- ands therefore, stnpport
- nt is inc~?easing slo~sly~ ~e is more defense?commscious
bec~u~e of its extensive global responsibilities ands by and larger the
plsslalic h.as gone along wi'~h the goverment vn comm~ita~ents under the ~?Gs
although there have b~c~n sporadic outbursts of irritation against ~JS
le$dershipti Porttagal-and Spain consider theme-elves remote enough to be
able tm me~-s~?e their a~i.li'~ary commitments to the. West by their limited
domestic ecoa~omic ca7pac$ties o Beca~nne of the nature of the 8pa~nish
~ctato~?ships Spain?n mili?f~ary b~.dget is dispr~poionately largeo
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S T
&~~rit~~r~.~sda like S~red~ns asaintaia~s a strong defense program independent
of the I4A?3?~s brut' one that is adegbsate only for segf-defense e
3a Po~a~lar Attitudes
Although the goverrmaents of most of the 1~AR?~ vonntries are firmly
caanmitted to the_co~oon d?fense programs popular opinion ia.~till
lgely apathety o The ~'ox?wegian~ and the ~3riti~h have strongly endorsed
the ~A~O programs but on the continent gene~?~.y there satiate no atllequate
~~p~?~ciation s~f the necessity for an urgent end anstained vommon defense
effort a Ia ad~.i?~ions this latent aaaawillingness to prepare against aggres-
lion is reiaafar~eds ia~ Dance at lusts by mounting distrus$ of ~ aims
and. leade~?shipa Fte~entment against the ps?es~nve of ~S military- forces in
F?rv~ and apprehen?io~i aver the destruction in ~Corea have fostered this
sentiment and ~ta?eng?~heraed the gen~ra~: conviction thst ocvupation is pFef~
ers,'ble to devasta~iona
~ o Evoa~o~.c ~~?oups
On the vontinents the opinion of labor seeders toward astepped-up
defennse pa?ogram is divided along political lineae Phis is particularly true
in ~?at~~e anal Malys ~h~re the dominant ~om~auhist unions oppose 7FearlOa-
nto ~~n?Ooist union leade~?s have gea~erally pledged support for-the
defense progr~as while9 a~ the same .times eacpr~saing maavh concern -over the
i~lstion they believe it will bring o Eaecept in gvandixasvia w~iere labor
follows its lead~~?s in sn~pport of the defea~se ~f`f~a?~y the ma3ority ?enti-
ment of the labor rsnk and file probably ranges t'rom indifference to
hos?~ilitys and is affevted p~?im~ily by the ~rag~mp~?ice ra'tioe
Big business and industrial interceats vox~tia~uiang to give strong
aup~o~?t to the defense elf?rts 'bec~~tse of thei~? sle~re to reverse the.
defla?~ionay trea~ai of 199 -and their hope for greater profits e In Italys
ho~reves?s theme a~'e indicstions thst at least amial~, bt~siness9 which fears
thst it will be a~ti~~~~ed out under the pressure of the resnt gro>
~s giv~slitti,e suppoa??~ to the defense effo~to In T~a?ances these is
now a tendency to bl mnoat of the inflation on sp~cu3ation and tI8 stovkm
wiling a~xad ?~o aubo~?a3.iinate the defeaaae ensrrgency to vonbern over- Europe ?s
shame of the. wo~?i.d?s ~?aw materials ahd tie possible effects of a Td3~
directed rationing program upon E~nropean eivilian productiono
5 ~ 'I~ilita~?y
In genera,la s~ilitary groups in NfA~?~7 co~antrie? strongly suppoa?t the
plan for common defenses although the Por?tuguesea because of their dis-
trust of I'a?ench defense capabilities end 'because of Portugal ?s relam
Lively ~?eanote ].ovations ~,nt to limit thei~? military* co~itribtation to a
vommitrnen?t to defend their nationab]. basesa Fssr simila~? reasonse Spanish
milit~y leaders ;prefea? an alignment with Portugal sand the U3q although
S
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theO'neutralis-e causes and the pro-government Figaro has also on occasion -harmful printed contributions that could be considered to the defense effort.
Elsewhere., the political press follows party lines and independent papers
usually favor the defense effo o
Conclusion
The anti-US sentiment that Spaak decried is probably based largely on
economic factors. Many Europeans are undoubtedly deeply concerned lest
Far Eastern developments involve Europe immediately in another world ware
but many are also beginning to discover more fearful spectres closer to
home o The phbrsiatent fear of lower living standards finds almost certain
confirmation in the growing scarcity and the mounting prices of the raw
materials that are essential to defense a In France., the cost of living
has already advanced 25 percent since the Korean War began. In Denmark.,
the people tend to place the blame for much of their economic dif'f'iculties
on the armament effortoAnticipated reductions for welfare expenditures
in the DIG have already caused a crisis in the Cabinet, and there will con-
tinue to be considerable criticism of the implementation of the arms pro-
gram, although there is as yet little indication of the trade union
reaction to the inevitable reductions in living standards. In Italy,
some of the more conservative Christian, Democrats, such as Budget Minim
ster Pella, fear that the rearmament effort may bring on inflation., and
the Senate has postponed consideration of the rearmament program. Thus.,
to varying degrees throughout Europe,, the basic question of the impact
of rearmament on the cost of living is leading to. a reassessment of
each nation's attitude toward the common defense effort a
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