Central Europe Yearbook

The 1958 US Trade Mission to Yugoslavia and the United States' "Wedge" Policy

A Technocratic Connection

Jacob Smiley

University of Minnesota

Keywords: Yugoslavia, US Department of Commerce, Cold War, History

Abstract

This article examines the 1958 US trade mission to Yugoslavia through the lens of technocratic internationalism, which is—borrowing Gabrielle Hetch's definition of the term—a “less visible, but sometimes more powerful means of shaping and reshaping” international relations during the Cold War. This article examines how trade fairs, personal relationships, and international business networks functioned as sites of technocratic internationalism and considers mid-level bureaucrats from the United States and Yugoslavia who believed that expertise and technical advice in areas such as transportation, industrial management, travel, and marketing could bridge political differences between Cold War actors. The article focuses in particular on Fred Wittner, an important figure in American advertising who was part of the trade mission. Utilizing Wittner’s personal papers, housed at the Wisconsin Historical Society, this article explores how technical expertise served as a conduit through which the United States attempted to strengthen ties with Yugoslavia and reveals the political importance of personal relationships and networks, even within a framework that encouraged seemingly “apolitical” information exchange and expertise.