TOC: Dutch Crossing: Journal of Low Countries Studies, Vol. 40, No
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H-Low-Countries TOC: Dutch Crossing: Journal of Low Countries Studies, vol. 40, no. 1 (March 2016) Discussion published by Ulrich Tiedau on Friday, February 19, 2016 DUTCH CROSSING: JOURNAL OF LOW COUNTRIES STUDIES Volume 40, Issue 1 (March, 2016) The Benelux Countries and the Cold War II Guest-edited by Kim Christiaens, Frank Gerits, Idesbald Goddeeris and Giles Scott-Smith CONTENTS The Benelux and the Cold War: Re-interpreting West-West Relations Kim Christiaens, Frank Gerits, Idesbald Goddeeris, Giles Scott-Smith pp. 1–9 The Dutch Encounter with the American Century: Modernization, Clientelism, and the Uses of Sovereignty during the Early Cold War David J. Snyder pp. 10–23 Realizing the Kennedy Vision: The John F. Kennedy Institute, Paradiplomacy, and Dutch Foreign Relations, 1960s–1980s Giles Scott-Smith pp. 24–38 Beyond Hollanditis: The Campaigns against the Cruise Missiles in the Benelux (1979–1985) Matthijs van der Beek pp. 39–53 The Murder of Julien Lahaut (1950) and the Anti-Communist Campaign in Belgium Emmanuel Gerard pp. 54–67 ‘Défendre l’oeuvre que nous réalisons en Afrique’: Belgian Public Diplomacy and the Global Cold War (1945–1966) Frank Gerits pp. 68–80 Belgian Foreign Policy and the Cold War: The Impact of European Political Co-operation in the 1970s Alexander Reinfeldt pp. 81–92 Citation: Ulrich Tiedau. TOC: Dutch Crossing: Journal of Low Countries Studies, vol. 40, no. 1 (March 2016). H-Low-Countries. 06-20-2016. https://networks.h-net.org/node/7833/discussions/112623/toc-dutch-crossing-journal-low-countries-studies-vol-40-no-1-march Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 1 H-Low-Countries ABSTRACTS The Benelux and the Cold War: Re-interpreting West-West Relations Kim Christiaens, Frank Gerits, Idesbald Goddeeris, Giles Scott-Smith What is there new to say on the Low Countries and transatlantic relations during the Cold War? How do recent trends in Cold War research open up uncharted areas to explore these relations from new angles and perspectives? With attention shifting to cultural, global, transnational and multi-centric approaches to the international history of the twentieth century, it would seem that the transatlantic is long passé as a primary frame of reference. As the first special issue in this series claimed (The Low Countries and Eastern Europe during the Cold War), existing scholarship on the Benelux nations has tended to emphasise the ‘loyal ally’ thesis, the uniqueness of small states among larger powers and the importance of traditional diplomacy. With this special issue, a set of articles has been brought together that open up new ways to consider the changing relations both within and between the Benelux nations and their Western allies during the Cold War. As a starting point, it takes the dual approach of the Benelux nations as both actors in the Cold War and as sites where Cold War dynamics were played out and influenced local political and social outcomes. By applying such a structure-agency approach, new perspectives on the importance of the Cold War for Benelux history, and the relevance of the Benelux for Cold War history, can be mapped out. DOI: 10.1080/03096564.2016.1129187 The Dutch Encounter with the American Century: Modernization, Clientelism, and the Uses of Sovereignty during the Early Cold War David J. Snyder Traditional historiography posits a Dutch foreign policy loyal to the United States, with only occasional outbursts of independence. This article argues, however, that even as US power constrained Dutch choices it also offered opportunities. Dutch policy-makers therefore sought to leverage American power to Dutch ends. This story of Dutch diplomatic agency offers a key example of a new empire-client framework for understanding post-World War II international relations. DOI: 10.1080/03096564.2016.1129189 Realizing the Kennedy Vision: The John F. Kennedy Institute, Paradiplomacy, and Dutch Foreign Relations, 1960s–1980s Giles Scott-Smith This article examines the role of the John F. Kennedy Institute as a “paradiplomatic actor” during Detente. Inspired by Kennedy’s vision for a transformation of both transatlantic and West–East relations, the Institute sought to contribute to a Europe-wide peace system through contacts with counterparts in Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia. Relations with the Dutch Foreign Ministry were close, despite the fact that the ministry’s contacts with these Central European regimes were limited. DOI: 10.1080/03096564.2016.1129190 Citation: Ulrich Tiedau. TOC: Dutch Crossing: Journal of Low Countries Studies, vol. 40, no. 1 (March 2016). H-Low-Countries. 06-20-2016. https://networks.h-net.org/node/7833/discussions/112623/toc-dutch-crossing-journal-low-countries-studies-vol-40-no-1-march Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 2 H-Low-Countries Beyond Hollanditis: The Campaigns against the Cruise Missiles in the Benelux (1979–1985) Matthijs van der Beek This article compares the anti-nuclear weapon campaigns in the Netherlands and Belgium during the political struggle against the NATO Double-Track Decision of December 1979 to deploy new nuclear missiles in Western Europe. While the traditional view is that the Dutch peace movement, and more specifically the Inter-Church Peace Council (IKV), was unique for leading the Europe-wide protests against nuclear weapons, this comparison reveals that the IKV campaign was in most aspects not very different from the anti-nuclear campaign of its counterpart in Belgium, the Flemish Action Committee Against Nuclear Weapons (VAKA). Both peace movements used similar methods, strategies and forms of actions, and both succeeded in making their respective governments repeatedly delay the final decision on cruise missile deployment until 1985. DOI: 10.1080/03096564.2016.1129191 The Murder of Julien Lahaut (1950) and the Anti-Communist Campaign in Belgium Emmanuel Gerard On 18 August 1950, two unidentified men shot the communist leader Julien Lahaut at the front door of his house in Seraing near Liege. The crime was never solved by the Belgian justice apparatus, and until recently the motives of the assassination still remained a subject of speculation. At regular intervals, the case surfaced in Belgian political discussions. In this paper, we will look at the results of new research, discuss clandestine anti-communist action and situate the murder in a broader political and Cold War context. DOI: 10.1080/03096564.2016.1129193 ‘Défendre l’oeuvre que nous réalisons en Afrique’: Belgian Public Diplomacy and the Global Cold War (1945–1966) Frank Gerits Between 1945 and 1966, Belgian public diplomacy operatives turned Africa into their principal target area. Scholars have alternately seen Belgian foreign policy as driven by the quest to safeguard economic interests while also emphasizing the skill with which Belgian foreign ministers increased the influence of Belgium within the Transatlantic partnership. As a result, the use of public diplomacy and the impact of colonialism on foreign policy is under-researched. However, the study of the archives of Inforcongo, Inbel and the Belgian Information Centre in New York allows for a better understanding of the close connections between Belgian public diplomacy and the changing views on development which shifted in the course of the 1950s and 1960s DOI: 10.1080/03096564.2016.1129194 Citation: Ulrich Tiedau. TOC: Dutch Crossing: Journal of Low Countries Studies, vol. 40, no. 1 (March 2016). H-Low-Countries. 06-20-2016. https://networks.h-net.org/node/7833/discussions/112623/toc-dutch-crossing-journal-low-countries-studies-vol-40-no-1-march Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 3 H-Low-Countries Belgian Foreign Policy and the Cold War: The Impact of European Political Co-operation in the 1970s Alexander Reinfeldt This paper discusses the interrelation between the European Political Co-operation (EPC) and the Cold War, the Belgian role within the EPC, and its impact on Belgian foreign policy-making. The EPC was a response of the European Communities member states to global and Cold War challenges occurring at the end of the 1960s, such as decolonization and détente. It aimed for mutual consultation, coordination and harmonization of member state foreign policies. Belgian foreign policy actors were central in developing the political co-operation. For subsequent Belgian governments, political co-operation was seen as an important step towards political union. A relevant factor for the development of the EPC along the lines of Belgian foreign policy preferences were processes of international socialization and/or Europeanization which gradually changed foreign policy-making in the member states. The significantly intensified and accelerated information flow between the foreign ministries, as well as frequent personal encounters on various levels within EPC, were catalysts for this. Apart from clear indications of Europeanization processes, the EPC partners were not always willing or able to find common responses to political challenges in the context of the Cold War. Belgian foreign policy-making was no exception to this rule. DOI: 10.1080/03096564.2016.1129196 Citation: Ulrich Tiedau. TOC: Dutch Crossing: Journal of Low Countries Studies, vol. 40, no. 1 (March 2016). H-Low-Countries. 06-20-2016. https://networks.h-net.org/node/7833/discussions/112623/toc-dutch-crossing-journal-low-countries-studies-vol-40-no-1-march Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. 4.