National Security Council Reviews Soviet Pressure on Afghanistan and Growing Cold War Competition in the Region (1955)

Date: December 1, 1955

Created By: No Author

Original or Replica: Original

Era: The Presidency, The Cold War

Collection: Eisenhower Presidential Library

Citations: Page 1 only. DDE’s Papers as President, NSC Series, Box 7, 268th Meeting of NSC; NAID #12023028

This December 2, 1955 memorandum records discussion from the 268th meeting of the National Security Council, held at Camp David on December 1 and chaired by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The meeting brought together senior administration officials, including the secretaries of State and Defense, CIA Director Allen Dulles, military leaders, and other national security advisers. The surviving page begins the Council’s review of significant world developments affecting U.S. security, with particular attention to the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan.

Dulles reports that a dispute between Afghanistan and Pakistan had left Afghanistan increasingly isolated from normal trade routes. Because Afghanistan depended heavily on transportation through Pakistan for imports and exports, the disruption created serious economic difficulties. One American company, Morrison-Knudsen, was experiencing difficulty obtaining materials needed for a dam project. Afghan officials were consequently attempting to have necessary supplies transported through the Soviet Union instead.

Dulles warns that the situation increasingly resembled developments that had occurred earlier in Iran, suggesting concern that economic isolation could provide the Soviet Union with opportunities to expand its influence. The discussion illustrates how seemingly regional disputes were viewed by Eisenhower administration officials through the broader framework of Cold War competition, particularly when economic dependence might allow Moscow to strengthen its position in strategically important countries.

Because the uploaded document contains only the first page of the meeting summary, it does not provide the remainder of the NSC discussion or its conclusions. The surviving page nevertheless offers a useful look at Eisenhower administration concerns about Soviet influence in Afghanistan during the Cold War.