ABSTRACT
The North Atlantic Treaty was signed, and ratified, while the United States still had a monopoly of atomic weapons. The North Atlantic Council was considering the recommendation of its Defense Committee that alliance governments provide a progressive increase in defense forces based on the creation of balanced collective forces rather than balanced national forces. The concept of "balanced collective forces" was approved unanimously by the North Atlantic Council on May 17, 1950. The thirtieth anniversary of the first treaty could best be marked by beginning work on a new North Atlantic treaty dealing with technological cooperation and trade. The Russians have a great respect for the industrial prowess of the West. The issue is coupling US strength to European weakness and then having to suffer the consequences. Nuclear parity has brought the North Atlantic alliance full circle, and the concept of nuclear deterrence without a credible conventional defense is finding fewer supporters in the United States.
