Pierre Gerbet, Emeritus University Professor at the Paris Institute of Political Science, outlines the reasons for the paradoxical attitude taken by France when, on 31 August 1954, it rejected the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (EDC) which René Pleven, President of the Council, had proposed as long ago as 24 October 1950.

At the conference held from 25 to 28 March 1987 in Rome to mark the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Treaties establishing the European Economic Community (EEC) and the European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC or Euratom), Jacques Van Helmont, former colleague of Jean Monnet at the High Authority of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), outlines the consequences of France’s failure to ratify the European Defence Community (EDC) Treaty for the action taken by Jean Monnet and the ECSC for the revival of the European integration process.

‘… and why do you have such big teeth? All the better to eat you with!’ In 1953, parodying the tale of Little Red Riding Hood, East German cartoonist Peter Dittrich deplores the dangers of the future European Defence Community (EDC) and the United States’ support for the plan to rearm the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG). For Moscow and East Germany, this process poses a threat to peace, as it encourages the revival of West German militaristic nationalism. A wolf wearing a Wehrmacht helmet with the SS logo (Schutzstaffel), a machine gun around its neck and sharp fangs spelling out the German acronym for the EDC, threatens to devour a little girl with a Phrygian cap, symbolising France. The collusion between West German and US interests is also criticised: US President Eisenhower lies in ambush (wearing the cap of little German Michel), a machine gun slung across his shoulder, observing the scene, and a US flag bearing the name of Federal Chancellor Adenauer is draped across the wolf’s back.

On 31 August 1954, the newspaper Franc-Tireur publishes an article on the reasons for and consequences of the failure of the ratification of the European Defence Community Treaty.

On 1 September 1954, the newspaper Franc-Tireur publishes an article which analyses the impact of the French National Assembly’s rejection of the European Defence Community Treaty.

On 23 October 1952, during the ratification procedure for the Treaty establishing the European Defence Community (EDC), the Assembly of the French Union invites the government to reconsider the provisions of the treaty with a view to maintaining a balance within Europe and safeguarding the French Union.

In September 1953, as the German federal elections are held, the All-German People’s Party (Gesamtdeutsche Volkspartei) calls on its voters not to support the planned European Defence Community (EDC).

On 31 August 1954, the French communist newspaper L'Humanité hails the decision of the French National Assembly not to ratify the Treaty instituting the European Defence Community (EDC) as a victory for the French people.

In March 1954, the French Action Committee for National Independence publishes a brochure outlining the many dangers of the Treaty establishing a European Defence Community (EDC) and calls on French MPs not to ratify the text.

On 31 August 1954, the French Communist daily newspaper L'Humanité welcomes the failure of the European Defence Community (EDC) and publishes figures which differ from those of the official results.