Poul Villaume
USA og Europa – transatlantiske partnere eller modstandere. En skitse af de lange historiske linjer i USA’s forhold til Europa i det 20. og 21. århundrede

- English summary

A number of fundamental elements of the United States foreign policy tradition are outlined, focused on the Cold War and the post-Cold War period. Both the ‘triumphalist’ and the ‘hegemonic’ interpretation of U.S. foreign policy towards Europe are given credit. In this connection, a brief outline of the history of transatlantic relations between the United States and Europe is presented. Both the “’empire’ by invitation” thesis and the “’empire’ by integration” thesis are discussed, as is the ‘dual containment’ policies of the United States towards Germany and the Soviet Union. The articles demonstrates how the unilateral trend of current U.S. foreign and military policies may be traced back to key policy elements of the Clinton Administration. It is concluded that although the transatlantic marriage is extremely unlikely to end with a divorce, the road ahead may well be somewhat more troubled than it used to be.