INTRODUCTION - NATO - Homepage · To mark the 60th anniversary of this historic accession, the NATO...
180
1 INTRODUCTION The accession of the Federal Republic of Germany to NATO was cause for great celebration in 1955. Extending the invitation to Germany to accede to the North Atlantic Treaty was a highly symbolic expression of the hopes and aspirations of the Alliance for a renewed vision of Euro-Atlantic peace and security amidst the heated backdrop of the Cold War. To mark the 60th anniversary of this historic accession, the NATO Archives is putting the spotlight on the formal documents and ceremonies that marked Germany’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic family. Archival photos originally taken during the invitation and accession ceremonies at the Ministerial Meetings in October 1954 and May 1955, respectively, have been selected and arranged to present a unique visual record of how the Alliance came together in a spectacular public display of unity to welcome their 15th member. The NATO Archives is particularly pleased to draw from its vaults the original signed protocol of accession for Germany, reproduced here in its entirety to serve as a documentary reminder of the long-lasting commitments made by all the signatories at this historic juncture. Special thanks go to the Office of Treaty Affairs at the U.S. Department of State for providing the excellent facsimile of the original instrument of accession by Germany to the North Atlantic Treaty. This rarely seen historical document, originally deposited in Washington DC on 6 May 1955 and now preserved in the archives of the State Department, is reproduced here with the kind permission of the German Delegation to NATO. I hope the images and documents presented in the following pages help to communicate the sense of excitement, majesty and magnitude that was associated with Germany’s formal accession to NATO. Should you wish to learn more about the complex discussions, consultations and negotiations that led to this momentous occasion, I invite you to consult the original (and now publicly disclosed) NATO documents on the subject in the NATO Archives Reading Room or on NATO Archives Online. Ineke Deserno NATO Archivist
Transcript of INTRODUCTION - NATO - Homepage · To mark the 60th anniversary of this historic accession, the NATO...
1
INTRODUCTIONThe accession of the Federal Republic of Germany to NATO was cause for great celebration
in 1955. Extending the invitation to Germany to accede to the North Atlantic Treaty was a
highly symbolic expression of the hopes and aspirations of the Alliance for a renewed vision of
Euro-Atlantic peace and security amidst the heated backdrop of the Cold War.
To mark the 60th anniversary of this historic accession, the NATO Archives is putting the
spotlight on the formal documents and ceremonies that marked Germany’s integration into
the Euro-Atlantic family. Archival photos originally taken during the invitation and accession
ceremonies at the Ministerial Meetings in October 1954 and May 1955, respectively, have been
selected and arranged to present a unique visual record of how the Alliance came together
in a spectacular public display of unity to welcome their 15th member. The NATO Archives
is particularly pleased to draw from its vaults the original signed protocol of accession
for Germany, reproduced here in its entirety to serve as a documentary reminder of the
long-lasting commitments made by all the signatories at this historic juncture. Special thanks
go to the Office of Treaty Affairs at the U.S. Department of State for providing the excellent
facsimile of the original instrument of accession by Germany to the North Atlantic Treaty. This
rarely seen historical document, originally deposited in Washington DC on 6 May 1955 and now
preserved in the archives of the State Department, is reproduced here with the kind permission
of the German Delegation to NATO.
I hope the images and documents presented in the following pages help to communicate
the sense of excitement, majesty and magnitude that was associated with Germany’s formal
accession to NATO. Should you wish to learn more about the complex discussions, consultations
and negotiations that led to this momentous occasion, I invite you to consult the original (and
now publicly disclosed) NATO documents on the subject in the NATO Archives Reading Room
or on NATO Archives Online.
Ineke Deserno
NATO Archivist
2
THE HISTORIC DOCUMENTS OF THE
ACCESSION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY
TO NATO
4
DE
CLA
SSIF
IED
- PU
BLI
C D
ISC
LOSU
RE
/ D
ÉC
LASS
IFIÉ
- M
ISE
EN
LE
CT
UR
E P
UB
LIQ
UE
5
DE
CLA
SSIF
IED
- PU
BLI
C D
ISC
LOSU
RE
/ D
ÉC
LASS
IFIÉ
- M
ISE
EN
LE
CT
UR
E P
UB
LIQ
UE
6
7
8
Belgium: Paul-Henri Spaak Canada: Lester B. Pearson Denmark: Hans Christian Hansen France: Pierre Mendès-France Greece: Stephanos Stephanopoulos
Iceland: Kristinn Gudmundsson Italy: Gaetano Martino Luxembourg: Joseph Bech Netherlands: Johan Willem Beyen Norway: Halvard Lange
Portugal: Paulo Cunha Turkey: Fuat Köprülü United Kingdom: Anthony Eden United States: John Foster Dulles
THE NATO FOREIGN MINISTERS -1954
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
DE
CLA
SSIF
IED
- PU
BLI
C D
ISC
LOSU
RE
/ D
ÉC
LASS
IFIÉ
- M
ISE
EN
LE
CT
UR
E P
UB
LIQ
UE
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
THE 16TH MINISTERIAL MEETINGAT NATO HEADQUARTERS
PALAIS DE CHAILLOT, PARIS
9 MAY 1955
26
27
DE
CLA
SSIF
IED
- PU
BLI
C D
ISC
LOSU
RE
/ D
ÉC
LASS
IFIÉ
- M
ISE
EN
LE
CT
UR
E P
UB
LIQ
UE
28
29
30
31
32
33
The red, black and gold flag of the Federal Republic of Germany flies for the first time in the front courtyard of NATO Headquarters.
34
THE ARRIVAL OF THE
MINISTERS
36
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer of the Federal Republic of Germany arrives for his first North Atlantic Council Meeting.
37
38
39
40
41
The Canadian Secretary of External Affairs Mr. Lester B. Pearson , an original signatory of the North Atlantic Treaty.
42
Joseph Bech, the Prime Minster and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg.
43
Hans Christian Hansen, Prime Minster and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
44
45
John Foster Dulles, the American Secretary of State and firm believer in the importance of international mutual security.
46
47
48
49
Harald Macmillan, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom. Within two years, he would become Prime Minster of the United Kingdom.
50
Antoine Pinay, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, checks in.
51
52
The ever-suave Gaetano Martino, the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Italy.
53
54
Paul-Henri Spaak, the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs who would become the second Secretary General of NATO.
THE DELEGATES’ LOUNGE
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
Chancellor Adenauer chats with Johan Willem Beyen, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands, outside of the North Atlantic Council meeting room.
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
INSIDE THE COUNCIL ROOM
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
The Deputy Secretary General of NATO Jonkheer van Vrendenburgh (left, sitting in for the absent Secretary General Lord Ismay) with the Chairman of the Council, Greek Foreign Minister Stephan Stephanopoluos.
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
THE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS OF
WELCOME
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
FAMILY PORTRAIT
CHANCELLOR ADENAUER POSES WITH
THE NATO FOREIGN MINISTERS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE
PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES
162
163
164
165
166
Lord Richard Coleridge, the first Executive Secretary of NATO, peers through the looking glass in preparation for the Family Portrait.
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
DE
CLA
SSIF
IED
- PU
BLI
C D
ISC
LOSU
RE
/ D
ÉC
LASS
IFIÉ
- M
ISE
EN
LE
CT
UR
E P
UB
LIQ
UE
179
180
