Dış Politika / Foreign Policy, Volume XIV, Nos. 3-4
M. Süreyya Yüksel
Foreign Policy Institute
During the last four decades, the Alliance has held together, and has managed to secure peace in Europe. During these years it has surmounted a series of crises that threatened its unity, primarily because it clearly faced a hostile power which posed a threat unambiguous enough to require Alliance members to mute their disagreements.
Although the world is ever in transition, in this period the changes that made up that transition were generally so gradual as to be imperceptible or, as Raymond Aron said many years ago, the nuclearization of the European balance had led to the deceleration of history.
However, since 1986, the sense that significant and perhaps fundamental changes arc underway is almost manifest. It is mainly the changes in the Soviet Union that have provided the impetus to this transition.
On the Soviet side, the attempt to achieve a far-reaching adjustment in the Soviet system which necessitated, at the least, a period of international quiet in order to provide a breathing space in which to adapt internally, created new conditions in world affairs.
On the United States side, an opportunity for arms control ...
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