'The love of an English mother for US Polari$ submarines.' During the 1960s, the US supply of nuclear weapons to the United Kingdom gives rise to mistrust and criticism from the USSR.

From 17 to 21 December 1962, the US President, John F. Kennedy, and the British Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, meet in Nassau, in the Bahamas, and conclude a special agreement in accordance with which the United States undertakes to supply Polaris missiles to the United Kingdom.

In 1962, the purchase of US Polaris missiles by the United Kingdom provokes tensions between Britain and France, as the British decision clashes with France’s desire to establish an independent nuclear deterrent in Europe.

On 22 December 1962, the day after the signing of the Nassau Agreement, the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera comments on the United Kingdom’s decision to arm itself with US Polaris missiles and discusses the various views on nuclear deterrence in Europe.

Am 26. Dezember 1962 beschreibt die ständige Vertretung Frankreichs bei der NATO die Fragen, die sich das Land bezüglich der Vereinbarung von Nassau und vor allem des Verkaufs amerikanischer Polarisraketen an Frankreich stellen muss.

On 31 December 1962, Hervé Alphand, French Ambassador to Washington, informs Maurice Couve de Murville, French Foreign Minister, of the outcome of his meeting with the US President, John F. Kennedy, regarding the conclusions of the Nassau talks and the US initiative concerning the Polaris nuclear weapons system. The French Ambassador outlines the views of the US President, who sees the Nassau proposal as an ‘opening’, a kind of framework that he hopes France will be ready to consider and discuss, including the creation of a multilateral nuclear force.

In his Memoirs, Lord Home, British Foreign Minister from 1960 to 1963, recalls the state of relations between Harold Macmillan and Charles de Gaulle at the time of the Polaris affair in 1962.

Auf einer Pressekonferenz vom 14. Januar 1963 im Elysée-Palast lehnt der französische Präsident Charles de Gaulle den Beitritt des Vereinigten Königreichs zum Gemeinsamen Markt ab.

On 14 January 1963, General de Gaulle holds a press conference at the Elysée Palace, during which he declares his opposition to the United Kingdom's accession to the European Common Market.

‘Adenauer plays the role of mediator. “Charlie, we have to show goodwill: give Mac a bit, too, when we divide up the bull …”’ On 20 January 1963, the Austrian Socialist daily newspaper Arbeiter-Zeitung portrays the uncharitable attitude of General de Gaulle, President of the French Republic, and of the German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, towards the United Kingdom’s possible accession to the European Communities.

On 29 January 1963, during the course of the 17th ministerial meeting between the Member States of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the United Kingdom, the French Foreign Minister, Maurice Couve de Murville, justifies France's unilateral decision, taken the previous day, to adjourn the negotiations.

On 29 January 1963, in an address given at the 17th ministerial meeting between the Member States of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the United Kingdom, the British negotiator and Lord Privy Seal, Edward Heath, rejects the arguments put forward by Maurice Couve de Murville, French Foreign Minister, to justify the breakdown of the accession negotiations.

On 29 January 1963, Henri Fayat, Belgian Deputy Foreign Minister and President-in-Office of the Ministerial Conference attended by the Member States of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the United Kingdom, officially announces the breakdown of the British accession negotiations.

‘French lessons for industrialised nations. Couve de Murville: “Look, they belong to Europe, but you don’t!”’ In 1963, Opland, Dutch cartoonist, illustrates France’s opposition to the United Kingdom joining the European Communities.

Illustrating the opposition of General de Gaulle, President of the French Republic, to the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities, the British cartoonist, Michael Cummings, takes an ironic look at the list of French demands which the French Prime Minister, Georges Pompidou, must have accepted.

Am 30. Januar 1963 spricht der französische Informationsminister Alain Peyrefitte auf RTL über das Scheitern der Verhandlungen, die in Brüssel über den Beitritt des Vereinigten Königreichs zum Gemeinsamen Markt geführt worden waren.

On 30 January 1963, standing by General de Gaulle’s veto of the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities, Maurice Couve de Murville, French Foreign Minister, leaves the negotiating table.

In his memoirs, Alain Peyrefitte, General de Gaulle's former Information Minister, describes the preparations for the press conference held at the Élysée Palace on 14 January 1963 during which the French President announced his decision to bring to an end the diplomatic negotiations on the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities.

Am 14. Januar 1963 sagt General de Gaulle «Non» zum Beitritt des Vereinigten Königreichs zum Gemeinsamen Markt. Am nächsten Tag macht dieses Veto Schlagzeilen in der britischen Presse.

Am 15. Januar 1963 gibt der belgische Außenminister Paul-Henri Spaak in Brüssel eine Pressekonferenz und kommentiert das Veto General de Gaulles gegen den Beitritt des Vereinigten Königreichs zum Gemeinsamen Markt, das dieser am Vortag in Paris eingelegt hat.

On 16 January 1963, commenting on General de Gaulle’s veto of the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities, the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera outlines the opinions of the French press.

On 16 January 1963, reacting to General de Gaulle’s opposition to the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities, British cartoonist David Low takes an ironic look at the difficult accession negotiations. From left to right: Edward Heath, British negotiator and Lord Privy Seal, and Prime Minister Harold Macmillan.

Ungeachtet des von General de Gaulle am 14. Januar 1963 eingelegten Vetos werden die Verhandlungen über den Beitritt des Vereinigten Königreichs zum Gemeinsamen Markt drei Tage später in Brüssel fortgesetzt. Die Redaktion von RTL zeigt jedoch, dass sie von der technischen auf die politische Ebene übergegangen sind.

Nach dem Veto General de Gaulles vom 14. Januar 1963 stehen sich in den Beitrittsverhandlungen mit dem Vereinigten Königreich Frankreich auf der einen Seite und Belgien, Deutschland, Italien, Luxemburg und die Niederlande auf der anderen Seite gegenüber. Diese Kraftprobe führt zur Aussetzung der Verhandlungen mit London.

On 18 January 1963, the British daily newspaper The Guardian considers General de Gaulle's veto of the United Kingdom's accession to the European Communities as a sign of fear of increased US influence in Europe, given the ‘special relationship' between the United Kingdom and the USA.

On 21 January 1963, after France’s veto of the United Kingdom’s accession to the Common Market, the Dutch daily newspaper Het Parool analyses the hidden agenda behind General de Gaulle’s European and international policy.

On 22 January 1963, Eugène Schaus, the Luxembourg Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, sets out Luxembourg's stance with regard to the French veto of the United Kingdom's application for accession to the European Communities.

Am 27. Januar 1963 kommentieren die Journalisten von Radio Luxemburg das Veto, das der Präsident der französischen Republik de Gaulle am 14. Januar gegen den Beitritt des Vereinigten Königreichs zu den Europäischen Gemeinschaften eingelegt hat. Sie beschreiben die Besonderheiten des britischen Agrarsystems und die mühevollen diplomatischen Verhandlungen in Brüssel.

On 28 January 1963, the French response to the United Kingdom’s application for accession to the European Communities leaves no doubt as to General de Gaulle’s stance on the matter.

On 29 January 1963, during the 17th ministerial meeting between the Member States of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the United Kingdom, the Belgian Foreign Minister, Paul-Henri Spaak, criticises the French veto of the United Kingdom’s application for accession to the European Communities.

On 29 January 1963, during the 17th ministerial meeting between the Member States of the European Economic Community (EEC) and the United Kingdom, the German Foreign Minister, Gerhard Schröder, laments the abrupt breakdown in negotiations on the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities.

‘Difficult ground in Brussels’. On 29 January 1963, following the veto exercised by General de Gaulle, President of the French Republic, against the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities, cartoonist Stig illustrates the failure in Brussels of the negotiations for British accession and emphasises the difficulties involved in finding solutions to the crisis.

On 30 January 1963, after France’s veto, the Dutch daily newspaper Nieuwe Rotterdamse Courant considers the future of the accession United Kingdom’s accession process to the European Communities.

On 30 January 1963, commenting on the French veto of the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities, the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera relates the course of events that led to the failure of the diplomatic negotiations.

Gerhard Schröder, German Interior Ministor from 1953 to 1961 and Foreign Minister from 1961 to 1966.

‘The European fable (continued): the new minder’. This cartoon criticises the United Kingdom’s propensity to seek solace in the arms of the US President, John F. Kennedy, after General de Gaulle rejects its application for accession to the European Economic Community (EEC).

Am 1. Januar 1963 definiert Eugène Schaus, stellvertretender Regierungschef und Außenminister Luxemburgs, die Position des Großherzogtums hinsichtlich des Vetos Frankreichs gegen den Beitritt des Vereinigten Königreichs zu den Europäischen Gemeinschaften.

‘The trouble with you is that you’re a dangerous Trojan horse!’ Here, the cartoonist reveals the obstacles to Franco-British understanding and to the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities.

In January 1963, Harold Macmillan, British Prime Minister, collides with the French ‘iceberg’ de Gaulle, who refuses to approve the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Communities.

‘Hang on!’ In 1963, the cartoonist, Hans Geisen, illustrates French President General de Gaulle’s opposition to the United Kingdom’s accession to the European Economic Community (EEC) and emphasises the Federal Republic of Germany’s intermediary role, which encourages the British not to lose hope.

„Durch die Hintertür?“ Nach dem ersten Veto des französischen Staatspräsidenten Charles de Gaulle gegen den Beitritt des Vereinigten Königreichs zu den Europäischen Gemeinschaften einen Monat zuvor illustriert der deutsche Karikaturist Fritz Behrendt im Februar 1963 die Zweifel und die Bemühungen einiger anderer europäischer Partner zur Assoziation des Vereinigten Königreichs mit den Gemeinschaften.

Herbert Blankenhorn, außenpolitischer Berater von Konrad Adenauer im Auswärtigen Amt und von 1955 bis 1959 Botschafter der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (BRD) bei der NATO.