History Revision- Adenauer's Foreign Policy

1. Less than 10 years to become major player

best way for WG was to win support of West and reconcile with France
re-integration seen as good by US= against communist expansion
Petersberg Agreements Nov 1949– FRG joined council of Europe as associate member
right to set up consulates in other countries
direct representation on OEEC which gave out Marshall Aid
representation on the Board of the International Authority on the Ruhr

2. Emergence of NATO 1949

– EDO formed, aim was to prevent German resurgence as it was seen as threat to security

– However- seemed to be protection against the advance of communism= made US reassess position

American View

Western Eu vulnerable to ideological expansion of USSR
EDO to European and small to protect WE
joining EDO would give US little input on policy making, while committing them to duty of WE protection
Atlantic Alliance rather than regional EU ally= increased influence, increased certainty for EU defence against commies.

3. FRG (effects on it)

ambiguous position- vanquished nation which was to be kept in check, but WG lay on frontline against advance of Comms= bigger threat
1950 Adenauer begins to argue for Bundeswher because- combat internal revolutions and contribute to european defence
outbreak of Korean War June 1950= made suggestion appear more reasonable and urgent since unlike GDR, FRG was still unarmed

4. Stalin’s Note March 1952

Proposed neutral united Germany- suprisingly liberal- w/e G’s chose should be accepted unclear whether it was propaganda to destabilize Adenauer’s policies or genuine?
If true- A had abandoned reunification
Schumacher and SPD argued A feared SPD dominated Germany
Stalin would never really risk free political Germany- it would threaten the other eastern satellite states

5. Pleven Plan September 1950

French initially unhappy about armed Germany so put foward Pleven Plan which would allow G a limited number of troops but only as a member of a new EDC
FAB agreed in principle but Brits unhappy with scheme

6. General Treaty in Bonn May 1952

to set up new EDC, which was successfully concluded in 1954
it abolished the statute of occupation and recognized full sovereignty of FRG and pledge to work for future reunification
all restrictions on German economy and scientific research lifted
allowed to set up Bundeshwer for security
EDC arrangements collapsed when French refused to ratify treaty in 1954
= A desperate to keep german involvement alive= renounced nuclear weapons and to keep WG army limited in size and kept under strict civil control
US led alliance= sent message to USSR, highlight US’s determination to reject further expansion of Soviet influence
membership of new alliance had to go beyond that of EDO=
NATO April 1949- established as political defence system, but changed into military stance after soviets successfully tested 1st A-bomb

7. Open way for German Rearmament

British plan to adopt Germany and Italy into Brussels Pact adopted and EDC renamed Western European Union
opened way- proposed Four Power summit to discuss reunification had been delayed following power struggle after Stalin’s death in 1953 and GDR riots
French reluctantly gave into pressure and WG finally admitted into NATO May 1955
= USSR recognized sovereignty of GDR and created Warsaw Pact with GDR as member
brought fears America only in it for their own ends
JULY 1956- Basic Law changed to allow compulsory military service- provoked controversy
1961- FRG had 350,000 soldiers and was second largest force in NATO
criticism some officers formerly served in Nazi wehrmacht

8. The European Economic Community (EEC)

merge WE coal and steel industries= provoked fierce debate. Adenauer accused of selling out by SPD and Schumacher, as ‘chancellor of the allies’
Treaty of Paris April 1951– brought about ECSC in 1952 (brits refused to take part) although only industrial agreement it signified a ‘peace treaty between G and F
FRG joind IMF 1952
Adenauer solidly behind negotiations that led to The Treaty of Rome March 1957, this set up the ECC January 1958
ECSC and EURATOM merged into EEC= common policies for agriculture, transport capital and labour and common external tariffs. LT political integration but in ST it was concerned with economic issues
Establishment of EEC came at a time when US were looking to relax policies towards USSR. this alarmed Adenauer and he began to pull germany closer to France despite their having different outlooks on foreign policy
de Gaulle and A brought closer during 1961 Berlin Crisis
January 1953- A gave de Gaulle support veto UK joining EEC
Elysee Treaty- a Franco German treaty of friendship
Adenauer tried to emphasize to D.Bundestag this didn’t mean a shift in foreign policy and led to fierce debate. Erhard pro US and wanted UK in EEC v Gaullists who feared an integrated Western europe independent of USA

9. The Hallstein Doctrine 1995

heavily criticized in 1960s and 1972
since 1949 Adenauer had insisted FRG was the ‘sole legitimate state’ in Germany
GDR regarded as illegitimate puppet state
Ulbricht same stance but for FRG
FRG recognized by most UN members and only Soviet bloc recognized GDR
1955- GDR started describing itself as ‘second german state’
sept 1955- A seemed to support this view by establishing relations with Soviet Union as part of an agreement for exchanging POWs
=anxious to make clear position not changed- recognition of GDR would harden division and raise doubts over A’s claim that western integration hadn’t harmed chances of reunification
Sept 1955 in an adress to Bundestag made his position clear repeated threat in Dec 1955= Hallstein Doctrine
Oct 1957 FRG broke off from Yugoslavia for forming relations with GDR and Cuba in 1963
HD enabled FRG to prevent recognition of GDR
However FRG prevented from establishing diplomatic relations with countries such as China who had recognized GDR in Warsaw Pact
= Hindered FRG’s freedom of action and made GDR more dependent on USSR

10. Brussels Pact

set out terms for co-operation and collective defence
regarded as anti communist organisation and eventually became broader part of EU

11. USSR reunification proposal 1953

after stalins death Four power Summit, Beria considered selliing GDR to the west provided it became neutral
riots 1953 and Beria’s fall delayed Four Power Summit until after FRG joined NATO
Geneva 1955- not successful meet as east-west relations were at a low ebb
Khrushchev effectively ruled out reunification