Betweeen 1950 and 1955, Theodor Blank is responsible before the German Government for all issues relating to German rearmament. In 1955, he becomes Defence Minister.
‘France wants the German army to be … stronger than the Soviet army … weaker than the French army.’ Published on 27 September 1954 in the German daily newspaper Die Welt, this cartoon by Fritz Behrendt shows France’s unease about German rearmament and the country’s desire to retain its superiority over the forces from across the Rhine.
European defence (Sub-section Germany): ‘Well, gentlemen, thanks to my invention you can now sleep soundly in your beds: special rifles for German battalions!’ In November 1950, the German satirical magazine Der Tintenfisch portrays the European countries’ mistrust of German rearmament.
On 18 August 1950, the German newspaper Die Welt comments on the difficult debate on the rearmament of the Federal Republic of Germany, and defends the idea of a purely defensive German army.
In 1955, the Communist Party of Germany for the Land of Hesse publishes a poster that condemns any idea of rearmament of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and calls for free, democratic elections to be held.
En janvier 1951, André Philip, délégué général du mouvement européen et président du mouvement pour les États-Unis socialistes d'Europe décrit dans la revue Notre Europe les enjeux d'un réarmement de l'Allemagne.
On 23 November 1951, the French daily newspaper Le Populaire publishes an article in which Paul-Henri Spaak outlines the United States’ attitude towards German rearmament.
In December 1950, in the journal Notre Europe, Paul Reynaud, former President of the French Council and delegate to the Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe, calls for the rearmament of Germany in the context of a European army.
In this draft memorandum to French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman, Jean Monnet establishes the framework within which he believes West German rearmament should take place and the country should be incorporated in the European defence system.
