Abstract
No single issue has threatened the unity of NATO more during the past five years than the decision to deploy new intermediate-range nuclear weapons (Pershing Ils and ground launched cruise missiles) on European soil. The debate revealed different perspectives concerning the meaning of nuclear deterrence between the United States and its allies. The collective decisions of Italy, Great Britain, and West Germany to accept the initial deployment in November 1983 were due not only to their fear of the Soviet SS-20 missiles, but also to their internal political dynamics. This essay examines the divergent attitudes between Americans and Europeans and some of the reasons why various political parties in Europe chose to support this deployment.
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