Containment, European oil asymmetry, and American Middle East Policy

Throughout the Cold War the United States ensured Western Europe’s oil supply from Persian Gulf sources, whereas Eastern Europe was supplied by Soviet oil: this is what I call European oil asymmetry. This paper examines the Western side of European oil asymmetry and argues that the logic of containment contributed to Europe’s increased reliance on oil, through the Marshall Plan’s emphasis on road transport. In turn, European oil asymmetry shaped American Middle East policy in the Cold War, culminating in the Carter Doctrine (1980) and the creation of CENTCOM (1983).