Am 19. März 1953 ratifiziert der deutsche Bundestag den Vertrag über die Gründung der Europäischen Verteidigungsgemeinschaft (EVD) gegen den heftigen Widerstand der Kommunisten, die den Plan einer europäischen Armee für den Auftakt zur Wiederbewaffnung der Bundesrepublik halten.

On 12 November 1953, as part of the ratification procedure for the Treaty establishing a European Defence Community (EDC), the Belgian Chamber of Representatives discusses the issues surrounding the question of a European army.

On 3 March 1954, as debates on the European Defence Community (EDC) are held in the Belgian Senate, Fernand Dehousse, a Belgian socialist senator and pro-European activist, describes the advantages of the Treaty establishing the EDC.

On 29 January 1953, a draft law stressing the importance of the European Defence Community (EDC) and calling on Vincent Auriol, French President, to ratify the Treaty establishing the EDC is put before the French National Assembly.

Debates in the French National Assembly two days before the refusal to ratify the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (EDC).

Debates in the National Assembly two days before the refusal to ratify the Treaty instituting the European Defence Community (EDC).

Debates in the National Assembly on the eve of the refusal to ratify the Treaty instituting the European Defence Community (EDC).

Debates in the National Assembly on the eve of the refusal to ratify the Treaty instituting the European Defence Community (EDC).

Debates in the French National Assembly the day before the refusal to ratify the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (EDC).

On 28 August 1954, the debate on the European Defence Community (EDC) began in the French National Assembly. A preliminary motion to adjourn was proposed by those in favour of the the EDC. Its opponents countered this with a preliminary issue allowing rejection of the Treaty without any debate. Although Pierre Mendès France managed to get them to withdraw it, the next day a supporter of the EDC succeeded in presenting the preliminary issue once again.This provided for the intervention of two people representing the respective interests. The spokesman for the opponents was the ex-president of the Assembly, the radical Edouard Herriot. His contribution was the death warrant for the EDC.