Anne Mette Grønborg Jakobsen:
Denmark's Policy in the Question of Algeria 1954-62

The Danish foreign policy with respect to the Algerian crisis serves as an example of the fragility of idealist aspirations in the face of realist considerations. The international balance of power manifested itself to the Danish government as an inescapable constraint severely limiting the maneuverability of foreign policy-makers. This fact of life does not imply, however, that there is no room left to pursue ideological ends. At certain junctures, windows of opportunity may present themselves and allow governments to increase the ideological content of their foreign policies. In regard to the Algerian crisis, the Danish government succeeded in maintaining Denmark´s position as a loyal NATO member, while simultaneously keeping the Nordic region from becoming one of the hot spots of the Cold War. This was accomplished through a two-fold strategy where Denmark expressed its loyalty to the Western alliance in NATO and its idealist values and Nordic preferences in the UN.