Die Westeuropäische Union
Die Westeuropäische Union
Der Brüsseler Pakt (17. März 1948)
The Brussels Treaty (17 March 1948)
TextThe Treaty of Economic, Social and Cultural Collaboration and Collective Self-Defence, signed in Brussels on 17 March 1948 by Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It enters into force on 25 August 1948. Although this Treaty provides only for ‘cooperation’ between the contracting parties, ‘which will be effected through the Consultative Council referred to in Article VII’, and it does not provide for the establishment of an international organisation, in practice it leads to the creation of an organisation known as the ‘Brussels Treaty Organisation’ or ‘Western Union’.
Die Neun-Mächte-Konferenz
Signing of the Final Act of the Nine-Power Conference (London, 3 October 1954)
BildOn 3 October 1954, in London, in response to the failure to establish the European Defence Community (EDC) on 29 August 1954, the Nine Powers (Belgium, Canada, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States) sign the agreements which pave the way for the Federal Republic of Germany to accede to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and for the conversion of Western Union into Western European Union (WEU). From left to right: Gaetano Martino, Italian Foreign Minister, Antony Eden, British Foreign Secretary, Konrad Adenauer, German Chancellor, Pierre Mendès France, President of the French Council, and Lester B. Pearson, Canadian Secretary of State for External Affairs.
The Nine-Power Conference (London, 28 September–3 October 1954)
VideoFrom 28 September to 3 October 1954, a conference attended by the Foreign Ministers of the United States, Canada, Italy, the Federal Republic of Germany and the five Member States of the Brussels Treaty is held at Lancaster House, London, with the aim of finding a solution to the questions of organisation and defence in Western Europe.
Rede von Konrad Adenauer vor dem Bundestag über die Neunmächtekonferenz (Bonn, 5. Oktober 1954)
TextAm 5. Oktober 1954, nach dem Abschluß der Londoner Neunmächtekonferenz, erläutert der Bundeskanzler Konrad Adenauer vor dem Bundestag die Tragweite der getroffenen Vereinbarungen.
Cartoon by Illingworth on the Nine-Power Conference in London (6 October 1954)
BildOn 6 October 1954, British cartoonist Leslie Gilbert Illingworth illustrates the difficulties experienced by the French and German delegations in reaching agreement at the Nine-Power Conference held in London from 28 September to 3 October 1954.
Communiqué issued after the Nine-Power meeting (Paris, 21 October 1954)
TextOn 21 October 1954, at the Nine-Power Conference in Paris, the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, Canada, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States resume the discussions started at the London Conference, held from 28 September to 3 October 1954, on the subject of European security and integration against the background of an Atlantic community in the throes of development.
Resolution on the production and standardisation of armaments (Paris, 21 October 1954)
TextOn 21 October 1954, in Paris, the Governments of Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom decide to convene a working party on 17 January 1955 to be responsible for considering the issue of the production and standardisation of armaments with a view to submitting proposals to the Council of Western European Union when it is established.
Anthony Eden, Full Circle: excerpt on the nine-power conference
TextIn his memoirs, Anthony Eden, British Foreign Minister from 1951 to 1955, describes the negotiation process at the Nine-Power Conference held in London from 28 September to 3 October 1954.
Kommuniqués des Nordatlantikrats
North Atlantic Council Resolution to implement Section IV of the Final Act of the London Conference (22 October 1954)
TextOn 22 October 1954, in Brussels, the North Atlantic Council adopts a resolution which seeks to enhance the collective defence system in Europe, to step up the integration of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) forces and to increase the powers and responsibilities of the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR).
North Atlantic Council Resolution on the results of the Four- and Nine-Power Conferences (22 October 1954)
TextOn 22 October 1954, at a meeting in Brussels, the North Atlantic Council adopts a resolution in which it welcomes the extension of the Brussels Treaty to include the Federal Republic of Germany and Italy, the cooperation being established between Western European Union (WEU) and NATO and the decision taken by the US, Canadian and British Governments to continue to station their troops on the European mainland.
North Atlantic Council Resolution of Association by Other Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty (22 October 1954)
TextOn 22 October 1954, the North Atlantic Council adopts a resolution which enthusiastically welcomes the declaration made on 3 October by the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the corresponding declaration made by France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Brüsseler Pakt in geändeter Fassung
Die Entstehung der Westeuropäischen Union (1955)
KarteDiese Karte illustriert die Entstehung der Westeuropäischen Union (WEU), die im Jahr 1955 an die Stelle der Westunion (WU) tritt. Im Rahmen der Pariser Verträge wird das Protokoll zur Änderung und Ergänzung des Brüsseler Vertrags aus dem Jahr 1948 am 23. Oktober 1954 in der französischen Hauptstadt unterzeichnet und tritt am 6. Mai 1955 in Kraft.
Modified Brussels Treaty (Paris, 23 October 1954)
TextThe Brussels Treaty of 17 March 1948, modified and completed by the protocols signed in Paris on 23 October 1954 which enter into force on 6 May 1955. The Federal Republic of Germany and Italy accede to the modified Treaty. The ‘Consultative Council’ becomes the ‘Council of Western European Union’ (Article VIII), and the organisation established by the Treaty is renamed ‘Western European Union’ (WEU).
Ratifications and entry into force of the Protocol modifying and completing the Brussels Treaty (1955)
TabelleDates of deposit of the instruments of ratification of the Protocol modifying and completing the Brussels Treaty of 17 March 1948. Pursuant to its Article VI, the Protocol entered into force on 6 May 1955, the date of the deposit of the Federal Republic of Germany’s instrument of accession to the North Atlantic Treaty.
Signing of the Protocol Modifying and Completing the Brussels Treaty (Paris, 23 October 1954)
BildOn 23 October 1954, in Paris, the five Member States of Western Union (France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg), together with Italy and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), sign the Protocol Modifying and Completing the Brussels Treaty of 1948, thereby establishing Western European Union. From left to right: Konrad Adenauer, Joseph Bech, Paul-Henri Spaak, Pierre Mendès France and Gaetano Martino.
Unterzeichnung der Pariser Verträge (23. Oktober 1954)
BildDie Pariser Verträge vom 23. Oktober 1954 stellen die Souveränität der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD) wieder her, die somit als Vollmitglied dem Atlantischen Bündnis beitritt, und gründen die Westeuropäische Union (WEU).
Press conference following the signing of the Paris Agreements (23 October 1954)
BildFrom left to right: Pierre Mendès France, Konrad Adenauer, Anthony Eden and John Foster Dulles answer journalists’ questions at a press conference held after the signing of the Paris Agreements on 23 October 1954.
‘Consolidation’ from Het Parool (25 October 1954)
TextOn 25 October 1954, after the failure of the European Defence Community (EDC), the Dutch daily newspaper Het Parool welcomes the signing of the Paris Agreements establishing Western European Union (WEU), and considers them to be an essential stage in the European unification process.
‘The Paris Agreements’ from La Dernière Heure (27 October 1954)
TextOn 27 October 1954, in an article published in the Brussels daily newspaper La Dernière Heure, Roger Motz, member of the Belgian Senate and leader of the Belgian Liberal Party, emphasises the numerous advantages, particularly in military terms, resulting from the Paris Agreements, and highlights the efforts made by the British, French and German leaders to achieve this outcome.
Cartoon by Behrendt on WEU (28 October 1954)
Bild‘The last obstacle?’ In October 1954, the cartoonist Behrendt shows the European countries cooperating to overcome their differences in order to work together for the unity of Western Europe.
Note from Robert Silvercruys to Paul-Henri Spaak (Washington, 30 October 1954)
TextIn this note sent to the Belgian Foreign Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak, on 30 October 1954, Robert Silvercruys, Belgian Ambassador to the United States, tells of the satisfaction in the United States that greeted the signing, on 23 October 1954, of the Paris Agreements establishing Western European Union (WEU).
Commentary by Paolo Emilio Taviani on the WEU (November 1954)
TextIn November 1954, Paolo Emilio Taviani, Italian Defence Minister, emphasises the importance of Western European Union (WEU) for the military security of the European continent.
Brüsseler Pakt in geändeter Fassung
Address given by Pietro Nenni on the ratification of the Paris Agreements (Rome, 21 December 1954)
TextOn 21 December 1954, in an address to the Italian Parliament, Pietro Nenni, leader of the Socialists, declares his opposition to Italy’s ratification of the Paris Agreements, since he sees them as an obstacle to the policy of détente in Europe.
Address given by Gaetano Martino on the ratification of the Paris Agreements (Rome, 22 December 1954)
TextOn 22 December 1954, Gaetano Martino, Italian Foreign Minister, outlines the advantages of Western European Union (WEU) to the Chamber of Deputies and calls for Italy’s ratification of the Paris Agreements.
Plakat der Kommunistischen Partei Deutschlands gegen die Pariser Verträge (1955)
TextIm Jahr 1955 warnt die Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (KPD) gegen die Gefahren der Pariser Verträge, die ihrer Ansicht nach fatal für den Frieden sind und den Interessen Deutschlands zuwider laufen.
‘On the road to Western Union’ from La Nation belge (7 January 1955)
TextOn 7 January 1955, the Belgian conservative daily newspaper La Nation belge analyses the debates taking place in France on the question of the ratification of the Paris Agreements and emphasises the Communists’ opposition to the establishment of a Western European Union (WEU).
Cartoon by Ganf on the Paris Agreements (20 January 1955)
BildOn 20 January 1955, the Soviet satirical magazine Krokodil lambasts France’s ratification of the Paris Agreements, by which it appears to be leaving itself vulnerable to the threat of a rearmed and revanchist Germany.
Aufrufe der Kommunistischen Partei Deutschlands zum Protest gegen die Pariser Verträge (Februar 1955)
TextIm Februar 1955 rufen mehrere Verbände der Kommunistischen Partei Deutschlands zum Protest gegen die Ratifizierung der Pariser Verträge vom 23. Oktober 1954 auf, die ihrer Ansicht nach die deutsch-französischen Beziehungen gefährden und den Frieden zwischen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD) und der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (DDR) aufs Spiel setzen.
Eugen Kogon, The defeat of Europe (February 1955)
TextIn 1955, Eugen Kogon, European federalist and founder of the journal Frankfurter Hefte, paints a very critical picture of the year 1954 with regard to European unification on a supranational basis.
Message from Dwight D. Eisenhower on the establishment of Western European Union (10 March 1955)
TextOn 10 March 1955, the US President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, sends to the governments of Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom a letter in which he sets out the reasons why the United States welcomes the establishment of Western European Union (WEU) and his ideas on how relations between WEU and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) should be structured.
Decision of the WEU Council establishing a Standing Armaments Committee (7 May 1955)
TextOn 7 May 1955, in application of Article VIII of the Modified Brussels Treaty, the Council of Western European Union (WEU) approves the establishment in Paris of a Standing Armaments Committee (SAC) to be responsible for seeking joint solutions to the needs of the member States in terms of equipment. The SAC undertakes in particular to promote agreements or arrangements on subjects such as the research and development, standardisation, production and supply of armaments.
First meeting of the WEU Council (Paris, 7 May 1955)
BildOn 7 May 1955, the Council of Western European Union (WEU) holds its first meeting in Paris, with, in particular, the Belgian delegation represented by the Belgian Foreign Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak (second from the right), and the United Kingdom delegation represented by the British Foreign Secretary, Harold Macmillan (on the left, with arms raised), who chairs the meeting.
First WEU Council of Ministers (Paris, 11 May 1955)
VideoOn 7 and 11 May 1955, the first Council of Foreign Ministers of the Member States of Western European Union (WEU) is held in Paris. Simultaneously, the North Atlantic Council meets in ministerial session at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris to give official recognition to the Federal Republic of Germany’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
Agreement on the Status of Western European Union (Paris, 11 May 1955)
TextOn 11 May 1955, the Foreign Ministers of Belgium, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Italy Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom sign in Paris the Agreement on the Status of Western European Union (WEU), National Representatives and International Staff.
‘Western European Union is a historical turning point’ from La Gazette de Liège (11 June 1955)
TextOn 11 June 1955, the Belgian daily newspaper La Gazette de Liège welcomes the establishment of Western European Union (WEU) and sees it as an important starting point on the road to European unity.
Minutes of proceedings of the first sitting of the WEU Assembly (Strasbourg, 5 and 8 July 1955)
TextOn 5 and 8 July 1955, in Strasbourg, the first sitting of the Assembly of Western European Union (WEU) is held in the Hemicycle of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, attended by the delegations of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Official report of debates of the first session of the WEU Assembly (Strasbourg, 5 and 8 July 1955)
TextOn 5 and 8 July 1955, in Strasbourg, the first session of the Assembly of Western European Union (WEU) is held in the Hemicycle of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, attended by the delegations of Belgium, the Federal Republic of Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Message from the WEU Council to the Assembly (Strasbourg, 5 July 1955)
TextOn 5 July 1955, Paul-Henri Spaak, Belgian Foreign Minister and President of the Council of Western European Union (WEU), gives an address at the first session of the Assembly of WEU
Discours de Johan Willem Beyen sur l'intégration européenne et les questions de défense (21 avril 1955)
TextOn 21 April 1955, Johan Willem Beyen, Netherlands Foreign Minister, deliveres a speech on the multiple challenges of European integration, particularly on defense issues.
Anthony Eden, Full Circle: extract on Western European Union
TextIn his memoirs, Anthony Eden, British Foreign Secretary from 1951 to 1955, describes the final negotiations and the signing, on 23 October 1954 in Paris, of the Agreements establishing Western European Union (WEU).
Interview mit Gaston Thorn: die Beratende Versammlung des Europarates und die Versammlung der WEU (Luxemburg, 6. Februar 2006)
TonIn diesem Interview spricht Gaston Thorn, ehemaliges Mitglied der Beratenden Versammlung des Europarates und der Versammlung der Westeuropäischen Union (WEU), über die Rolle dieser Beschlussorgane bei der Ausbildung eines europäischen Geistes und eines Bewusstseins der politischen, wirtschaftlichen und militärischen Herausforderungen im Vereinten Europa.
Der neue Status der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Meeting between Konrad Adenauer and Anthony Eden, Dean Acheson and Robert Schuman in preparation for the future Bonn Agreements (24 May 1952)
BildOn 24 May 1952, the Federal Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer (centre), meets British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden (on the left), US Secretary of State Dean Acheson and French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman (on the right), to discuss the final outstanding questions relating to the future Convention on relations between the Three Powers and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Arrival of Robert Schuman in Bonn for the signing of the Bonn Agreements (26 May 1952)
BildOn 26 May 1952, Robert Schuman, French Foreign Minister, arrives in Bonn for the signing of the Convention on relations between the Three Powers and the Federal Republic of Germany.
Dean Acheson signs the Bonn Agreements (26 May 1952)
BildOn 26 May 1952, the US Secretary of State, Dean Acheson, signs the Bonn Agreements, which aim to put an end to the occupation status of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and enable the gradual reestablishment of German sovereignty. This Convention is due to take effect upon the entry into force of the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (EDC).
Konrad Adenauer signs the Bonn Agreements (26 May 1952)
BildOn 26 May 1952, the Federal Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, signs the Convention on relations between the Three Powers and the Federal Republic of Germany. The Bonn Agreements grant sovereignty to the FRG, with certain restrictions, upon the entry into force of the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (EDC).
Anthony Eden signs the Bonn Agreements (26 May 1952)
BildOn 26 May 1952, the British Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, signs the Convention on relations between the Three Powers and the Federal Republic of Germany, which grants sovereignty to the FRG, with certain restrictions, upon the entry into force of the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (EDC).
Der neue Status der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Robert Schuman signs the Bonn Agreements (26 May 1952)
BildOn 26 May 1952, in Bonn, the French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman, signs the Convention on relations between the Three Powers and the Federal Republic of Germany, which grants sovereignty to the FRG, with certain restrictions, upon the entry into force of the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (EDC).
General view of the room in which the Bonn Agreements were signed (26 May 1952)
BildOn 26 May 1952, France, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) sign the Convention on relations between the Three Powers and the FRG, which grants sovereignty to the FRG, with certain restrictions, after the entry into force of the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (EDC).
Rede von Heinrich von Brentano vor dem Bundestag über die Neunmächtekonferenz (Bonn, 7. August 1954)
TextHeinrich von Brentano, Vorsitzender der CDU-Bundestagsfraktion, schildert in seiner Rede vom 7. August 1954 die Ergebnisse der Londoner Neun-Mächte-Konferenz, welche der Bundesrepublik den Beitritt zur Westeuropäischen Union und zum Nordatlantikpakt ermöglichen.
Vertrag über die Beziehungen zwischen der BRD und den Drei Mächten (Paris, 23. Oktober 1954)
TextVertrag über die Beziehungen zwischen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und den Drei Mächten in der gemäß Liste I zu dem am 23. Oktober 1954 in Paris unterzeichneten Protokoll über die Beendigung des Besatzungsregimes in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland geänderten Fassung.
Demonstration against German rearmament (Munich, 1954)
BildIn 1954, pacifist demonstrators march through the streets of Munich protesting against German rearmament, sanctioned by the Paris Agreements signed on 23 October 1954.
Aufruf des Bundes der Deutschen zur Ablehnung der Pariser Verträge (1954)
TextIm Jahr 1954 lehnt der Bund der Deutschen, eine den Kommunisten nahe stehende westdeutsche Partei, die Wiederbewaffnung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD) ab und ruft dazu auf, die Pariser Verträge nicht zu ratifizieren.
Cartoon by Behrendt on the FRG and NATO (1954)
Bild‘Welcome to Konrad and his men.’ In 1954, the cartoonist Fritz Behrendt depicts the forthcoming accession of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), which is presented as an impregnable fortress.
Cartoon by Opland on the New German Army (8 January 1955)
Bild‘To cut a long story short, the West puts West Germany on the map, following the principle of free choice for the nations.’ In January 1955, Opland, Dutch cartoonist, describes the rearmament process of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG).
Deutsches Plakat zur Frage der Wiederbewaffnung der BRD (1955)
TextAngesichts der militärischen Bedrohung durch die Sowjetunion spricht sich der unabhängige und republikanische westdeutsche Bund aktiver Demokraten e.V., der sich für die freiheitliche und demokratische Grundordnung einsetzt, im Jahr 1955 für den Wiederaufbau einer deutschen Armee aus.
Plakat der Kommunistischen Partei Deutschlands gegen die Pariser Verträge (1955)
TextIm Jahr 1955 bringt die Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (KPD) ihre Ablehnung gegenüber der Blockpolitik zum Ausdruck, indem sie die Pariser Verträge und die Nordatlantikpaktorganisation (OTAN) angreift und sich gleichzeitig für die Einrichtung einer gemeinsamen Verteidigung in Europa ausspricht.
Address given by Chancellor Konrad Adenauer during the ratification process for the Paris Agreements (Bonn, 20 April 1955)
BildOn 20 April 1955, in connection with the implementation of the various provisions of the Paris Agreements, James B. Conant, High Commissioner of the US zone of occupation and US Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from 1953 to 1957, deposits the ratification instruments for the Protocol on the Termination of the Occupation Regime in the FRG with the Federal Government. The photo shows the Federal Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, giving an address at the Palais Schaumburg in Bonn to emphasise the importance of the event.
Proklamation der Bundesregierung anläßlich der Beendigung des Besatzungsregimes (Bonn, 5. Mai 1955)
TextAm 5. Mai 1955, anläßlich der Beendigung des Besatzungsregimes in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, faßt die Bundesregierung der BRD eine Proklamation ab zum Tag der Souveränität.
Rundfunkansprache von Konrad Adenauer über die Beendigung des Besatzungsregimes in der Bundesrepublik (5. Mai 1955)
TextAm 5. Mai 1955 begrüßt Konrad Adenauer, Kanzler der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD), in einer Rundfunkansprache die Beendigung des Besatzungsregimes in der Bundesrepublik.
Signing of the ratification agreements (Bonn, 5 May 1955)
BildOn 5 May 1955, in Bonn, Sir Frederick Hoyer Millar (left), British High Commissioner in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), and the German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer (centre), sign the agreements which officially put an end to the occupation of the FRG by the three Western allied powers.
"Im Besitz der Souveränität" in Bulletin des Presse- und Informationsamtes der Bundesregierung (5. Mai 1955)
TextAm 5. Mai 1955 unterstreicht das Bulletin des Presse- und Informationsamtes der Bundesregierung die Bedeutung der Wiedergewinnung der Souveränität durch die Beendigung des Besatzungsregimes in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD).
Accession of the Federal Republic of Germany to NATO (Paris, 6 May 1955)
BildOn 6 May 1955, in Paris, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer signs the official accession of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) to the North Atlantic Treaty.
"Die Bundesrepublik ist Mitglied der NATO" in Süddeutsche Zeitung (10. Mai 1955)
TextAm 10. Mai 1955, am Tag nach dem Beitritt der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD) zum Nordatlantikpakt (NATO), berichtet die deutsche Tageszeitung Süddeutsche Zeitung über den Ablauf der Beitrittszeremonie Palais de Chaillot in Paris.
Cartoon by Kukryniksy on the accession to NATO of the Federal Republic of Germany (30 May 1955)
Bild‘At the head of the North Atlantic Union.’ On 30 May 1955, the Soviet satirical publication Krokodil denounces the Federal Republic of Germany’s membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and attacks the Nazi military past of the German Generals in the Alliance.
‘Adenauer wants to speed up German rearmament’ from Het Parool (6 June 1955)
TextOn 6 June 1955, the Dutch daily newspaper Het Parool outlines the efforts made by the German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, to speed up the process of rearmament in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Rede von Theodor Blank anläßlich der Ernennung der ersten freiwilligen Soldaten zur Bundeswehr (12. November 1955)
TextAm 12. November 1955, anläßlich der Ernennung der ersten freiwilligen Soldaten zur Bundeswehr, hält der Bundesverteidigungsminister Theodor Blank eine Ansprache in Bonn.
The new German Army (Bonn, 12 November 1955)
BildOn 12 November 1955, in Bonn, Theodor Blank, West German Defence Minister, presents the first 101 Bundeswehr volunteers with their instrument of appointment.
Konrad Adenauer addressing the first volunteers of the FRG army (Andernach, 20 January 1956)
BildOn 20 January 1956 in Andernach, German Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer addresses the first recruits of the new Bundeswehr.
Der neue Status der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Deutsche Werbeplakate für die Rekrutierung neuer Bundeswehr- und Luftwaffesoldaten
TextIm Juli 1955 verabschiedet der Deutsche Bundestag das Freiwilligengesetz und schafft damit die Grundlage für die Rekrutierung der ersten Freiwilligen in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD). Die neue Bundeswehr und die Luftwaffe veröffentlichen ab 1956 Plakate, um ihre ersten Soldaten zu rekrutieren.
Gemeinsamer Aufruf der französischen und der deutschen Kommunisten gegen die Bonner und Pariser Verträge (1954)
TextIm Jahr 1954 rufen die französische Kommunistische Partei (PCF) und die Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands (KPD) das französische und das deutsche Volk gemeinsam dazu auf, die Bonner und Pariser Verträge nicht zu ratifizieren, und bekräftigen ihren Einsatz im Kampf für den Frieden.
Plakat der deutschen Bundesregierung zur Bedeutung der NATO (1956)
TextIm Jahr 1956 veröffentlicht der Presse- und Informationsdienst der deutschen Bundesregierung ein Plakat, das die Verdienste der Nordatlantikpaktorganisation (NATO) hervorhebt. Seit dem 9. Mai 1955 ist die Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD) Vollmitglied der NATO.
Ansprache von Konrad Adenauer: die Rolle der NATO (Bonn, Mai 1957)
VideoIm Mai 1957 hält der deutsche Bundeskanzler und Außenminister Konrad Adenauer während des Rates der Außenminister der Nordatlantischen Vertragsorganisation (NATO) ein Rede, in der er die Bedeutung der NATO angesichts der Bedrohung durch die Sowjetunion hervorhebt.
Die militärische Eingliederung der BRD in das westliche Bündnis
VideoMit dem Koreakrieg (1950-1953) wird die kommunistische Bedrohung deutlicher spürbar als je zuvor. Die Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD) setzt unter der Führung Bundeskanzler Konrad Adenauers alles daran, sich politisch und militärisch an den Westen zu binden. Daraus ergaben sich das Ende des Besatzungsstatuts, der Beitritt zur Nordatlantischen Vertragsorganisation im Jahre 1954, die Gründung einer neuen Armee im Jahre 1955 und die Unterzeichnung der Römischen Verträge im Jahre 1957 nach dem Scheitern des Plans einer Europäischen Verteidigungsgemeinschaft (EVG).
"Die ersten Waffen der Bundeswehr" in Le Monde (30. September 1984)
TextAnlässlich des dreißigsten Jahrestages der Londoner Akte vom 3. Oktober 1954 verfolgt die französische Tageszeitung Le Monde in ihrer Ausgabe vom 30. September 1984 die Ereignisse zurück, die schließlich zur Wiederbewaffnung Westdeutschlands führten.
Sovereign Germany (Andernach, 29 January 1956)
BildOn 20 January 1956, in Andernach, the German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, and his Minister for Defence, Theodor Blank, review the volunteers of the new Bundeswehr.
Der Warschauer Pakt
‘Russia integrates’ from Het Vrije Volk (18 June 1954)
TextOn 18 June 1954, the Dutch daily newspaper Het Vrije Volk comments on the efforts made by the Soviet Union to link the economies of its satellite states with its own economic development.
‘Red NATO’ from Het Parool (22 March 1955)
TextOn 22 March 1955, the Dutch daily newspaper Het Parool comments on Moscow’s desire to establish a military alliance known as the Warsaw Pact.
‘The USSR and its satellites will simply confirm the current state of affairs' from Le Figaro (10 May 1955)
TextOn 10 May 1955, the French daily newspaper Le Figaro emphasises that the Warsaw Conference (11–14 May 1955), which culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance (Warsaw Pact), simply confirms the state of affairs existing since the Korean War.
Communiqués published after the first three days of the Warsaw Conference (11–13 May 1955)
TextFrom 11 to 14 May 1955, the Conference of European Countries for the Preservation of Peace and Security in Europe is held in Warsaw. The communiqués published during the Conference refer to the agenda of the first three days.
Composition of the delegations to the Warsaw Conference (11 to 14 May 1955)
TabelleTable showing the composition of the delegations from the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Albania to the Warsaw Conference for the preservation of peace and security in Europe, held in Warsaw from 11 to 14 May 1955.
Soviet delegation at the signing of the Warsaw Pact (14 May 1955)
BildOn 14 May 1955, the Soviet delegation, led by Vyacheslav Molotov, signs the Warsaw Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in the presence of the representatives of Albania, Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, as well as a delegate from the People’s Republic of China.
Letter from Jean Le Roy to Antoine Pinay (Moscow, 17 May 1955)
TextOn 17 May 1955, Jean Le Roy, French chargé d'affaires in Moscow, informs Antoine Pinay, French Foreign Minister, of the reactions in the countries of Eastern Europe to the signature three days earlier of the Warsaw Pact.
‘The NATO of the East’ from Le Monde (17 May 1955)
TextOn 17 May 1955, the French daily newspaper Le Monde considers the political and military issues raised by the signing of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance between Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union.
‘The Warsaw Pact’ from the Corriere della Sera (31 May 1955)
TextOn 31 May 1955, the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera discusses the impact of the signing, on 14 May 1955, of the Warsaw Pact, a military agreement concluded between the USSR, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania.
‘A treaty of friendship and peace’ from Études soviétiques (June 1955)
TextIn June 1955, the monthly journal Études soviétiques, published by the Soviet Information Bureau in Paris, prints an article outlining the various obligations resulting from the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance signed by the USSR, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, Poland and Romania.
Presentation of colours to the First Mechanised Regiment of the National People's Army of the German Democratic Republic (30 April 1956)
BildOn 30 April 1956, Willi Stoph, the East German Defence Minister, leads the official ceremony to mark the presentation of the colours to the First Mechanised Regiment of the National People’s Army of the German Democratic Republic (GDR).