The Insecure Alliance: Energy Crises and Western Politics Since 1944

The West has endured seven major fuel crises since 1944; these crises have threatened not only the well-being of the western alliance but also its military preparedness and political cohesion. Because energy security was deemed vital, the United States and its Western European and Japanese allies attempted to formulate a collective response to each crisis. Based on extensive archival research both in the United States and abroad, Kapstein here explains why alliance relations have been characterized by cooperation during some energy crises and conflict during others.