Mutual Security Act (1951)

Lynne K. Zusman and Neil S. Helfand

In the aftermath of World War II, a redistribution of military and economic power left two supreme powers, the United States and the Soviet Union. The remaining world order consisted of the war torn nations of the European continent and the less-developed nations of Asia, Africa, and South America, many of which would gain their independence in the post–World War II era. Ideologically divided and with competing aims, the Soviet Union and the United States each vied for control over the reshaping and development of this remaining world order.

From the standpoint of U.S. foreign policy makers, the vulnerability of these nations to the threat of communist influence and aggression posed a direct threat to the national security of the United States and the rest of the free world. In response to this security threat, the United States enacted the Mutual Security Act of 1951, an ambitious piece of legislation with its stated aim "to maintain the security and promote the foreign policy and provide for the general welfare of the United States by furnishing assistance to friendly nations in the interest of international peace and security."

The ideological purpose of this act was the defense of democracy in the continual struggle against communism. The chosen means by which to mount this defense was the strengthening and development of the military and economic structure of friendly nations, in other words those nations opposed to communism. The goal of the act was to make these nations viable partners in the building of an effective "collective security" against communist domination. Such self-sustaining countries could contribute to the common defense of the free world, including the defense of the United States.

FEATURES OF THE ACT

The act authorized military, economic, and technical assistance to countries with the aim of developing their resources in the interest of their security and independence on the condition that such assistance be in the national interest of the United States. However, the act also reflected the idealism of the post-war era, as embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, in its ambition to promote world peace, international understanding, and good will and to bring about the participation of recipient countries in the United Nations system for collective security. The act provided for the distribution of funds based on geographical regions, namely Europe, the Near East and Africa, Asia, and the American republics, taking into account the unique circumstances and needs of each region.

HISTORICAL IMPACT

As Western Europe quickly rebounded from the ravages of war, United States assistance became increasingly focused on the less-developed nations of the Southern Hemisphere. It was widely believed that the southern half of the globe was the battleground between the free world and the communist world. Under this act the United States provided not only military funding and training but also assistance to bolster the economies and the standards of living and health of recipient countries.

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