About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

26 Pol. Q. Int'l Aff. 5 (2017)
The Harmel Report and Lessons from NATO's Dual-Track Policy

handle is hein.journals/polqurint26 and id is 413 raw text is: ROBERT KUPIECKI The Harmel Report and Lessons from NATO's Dual-Track Policy The 1960s was probably one of the stormiest moments in NATO history, characterised by Moscow's advantage in the field of conventional weapons, its rapidly growing nuclear potential, and a persistent dispute over a new Allied strategy to escape from the massive retaliation trap and stalemate of military escalation. It was also a decade during which nuclear policy was debated, and one that saw France leave the Alliance in 1967. In addition, it was a time of differences in opinion among the Allies in regards to the prospects of easing strained relations with the communist bloc. All of these factors appeared to have been leading the organisation to the edge of a crisis.' A solution finally came with a political reflection that resulted in the Harmel Report, released in December 1967. This document opened the door to an agreement on flexible response, bringing a new look to relations with the Eastern bloc. The significance of this document lay not only in the fact that it called for a new approach which combined NATO's might with political dialogue, but also in the method of how it was created via compromise among the Allies.2 From that time on, the dual-track (power and dialogue) policy was to direct the Alliance's activities permanently. Another political track was added after 1989, to include the network of partnership-based relations established by NATO with non-members. If all this seems familiar in 2018, it is worth noting that parallels which become apparent in this article (for example disputes on the adequate level of deterrence and defence, hybrid 1 For the broader context of these issues see: R. Kupiecki, Sila i solidarnok. Strategia NATO 1949-1989, PISM, 2012, pp. 207-262. 2 After the end of the Cold War, it was used to prepare the decision on 2010 NATO's Lisbon Strategy. See: NATO 2020. Zapewnione bezpieczenstwo, dynamiczne zaangazowanie, introduction and edits A.D. Rotfeld, PISM, 2010. The Polish Quarterly of International Affairs, 2017, no. 4

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most