Adenauer belied his age by his intense work habits and his uncanny political instinct. He displayed a strong dedication to a broad vision of market-based liberal democracy and anti-communism. A shrewd and strategic politician, Adenauer was deeply committed to a Western-oriented foreign policy and restoring the position of West Germany on the world stage. He worked to restore the West German economy from the destruction of World War II to a central position in Europe, presiding over the German Economic Miracle together with his Minister of Economics, Ludwig Erhard, and a driving force in re-establishing national military forces (the "Bundeswehr") and intelligence services (the "Bundesnachrichtendienst") in West Germany in 1955 and 1956. Adenauer opposed recognition of rival German Democratic Republic or the Oder-Neisse line, skillfully used in electoral campaigns against the SPD - more sympathetic to co-existence with the GDR and the post-war borders - and made West Germany a member of NATO. Although also a proponent of European unity, Adenauer pursued strong Atlanticist links with the United States as counterbalance to France, a strong military and nuclear power by the end of his term.