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Britain and the Unification of Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 May 2009

Allan Hovey Jr
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Extract

On August 30, 1954, a close vote on a motion to prevent debate in the French National Assembly consigned to history a spectacular scheme for the unification; of western Europe. The defeat of the European Defense Community (EDC) precipitated a seven-week crisis in the western world that only adroit diplomacy, spurred by a sense of desperation, could overcome. In the ensuing conferences of London (September 28— October 3) and Paris (October 20–23), the foreign ministers accomplished two vital purposes. They salvaged the Atlantic alliance and they brought Adenauer's; Germany into the family of free nations.

Type
Articles
Information
International Organization , Volume 9 , Issue 3 , August 1955 , pp. 323 - 337
Copyright
Copyright © The IO Foundation 1955

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References

1 The seven concerned are the Schuman Plan countries—Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands—plus Britain.

2 For a convenient summary of opinion polls and test votes on this question, see Martin, Jean, “L'Europe plebiscitée,” Bulletin du Centre European de la Culture, Geneva, 01/02 1954, p. 8–18Google Scholar.

3 The text of the “Treaty of Economic, Social and Cultural Collaboration and Collective Self-Defense” (Brussels Treaty), 03 17, 1948Google Scholar, is published in London and Paris Agreements, Department of State Publication 5659, November 1954, p. 57–62.

4 See especially Brussels Treaty, ibid.; “Protocol No. 1 Modifying and Completing the Brussels Treaty,” ibid., p. 37–40; and “Protocol No. IV on the Agency of Western European Union for the Control of Armaments,” ibid., p. 51–57.

5 Julian Amery, Council of Europe, Consultative Assembly (4th session), Official Report of Debates, Vol. V, 09 29, 1952, p. 683 (Italics supplied)Google Scholar.

6 Anthony Nutting, ibid., Vol. I, May 28, 1952, P. 92.

7 476 H. C. Deb. 5s, June 26, 1950, col. 2155.

8 Sir Anthony Eden, 494 H. C. Deb. 5s, November 19. 1951 col. 40.

9 “Treaty Constituting the European Defense Community”, text in United States Congress (82d), Senate, Convention on Relations with the Federal Republic of Germany and a Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty, Executive Q and R, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1952, p. 167–206Google Scholar. Article 38, p. 178.

10 Journal Officiel de la Communaute Européenne du Charbon et de l'Acier, Débats de l'Assemblée Commune, 09 11, 1952, p. 21 ffGoogle Scholar.

11 September 13, 1952, p. 607.

12 Council of Europe, Assembly, Consultative (4th ordinary session), Official Report of Debates, Vol. III, 09 15, 1952, p. 281Google Scholar.

13 Ibid., Vol. II, May 29, 1952, p. 148.

14 Ibid., Vol. III, September 15, 1952, p. 282.

15 Ibid., September 18, 1952, p. 391 and 392.

16 Julian Amery, ibid., Vol. V, September 29, 1952, p. 683.

17 Articles 2 and 6. Text of “Treaty of Alliance and Mutual Assistance” (Dunkirk Treaty), 03 4, 1947Google Scholar, in Cmd.7217, London, H.M. Stationery Office, 1947.

18 See, e.g., Ernest Bevin's speech in House of Commons, January 22, 1948, 446 H. C. Deb. 5s, col. 391 ff.

19 Text of the Brussels Treaty, March 17, 1948, in Cmd.7883, Collective Defence under the Brussels and North Atlantic Treaties, London, H.M. Stationery Office, 1948, p. 13–16Google Scholar; see also London and Paris Agreements, cited above, p. 57–62.

20 Statute of the Council of Europe, Article I. Text in Council of Europe, Procedure of the Consultative Assembly, Strasbourg, 1953, p. 107–122Google Scholar.

21 Walker, P. C. Gordon, “Britain and European Union,” Commonweal, 05 30, 1952, p. 191 ffGoogle Scholar.

22 “Treaty Between the United Kingdom and the Member States of the European Defense Community,” May 27, 1952, in United States Congress (82d), Senate, Convention on Relations with the Federal Republic of Germany …, cited above, p. 227–228Google Scholar.

23 “Agreement regarding Co-operation between the United Kingdom and the European Defense Community” and “Statement of Common Policy on military association between the Forces of the United Kingdom and the European Defense Community” in Memorandum regarding United Kingdom Association with the European Defense Community, Cmd.9126, London, H.M. Stationery Office, 04 13, 1954Google Scholar.

24 526 H. C. Deb. 5s, April 14, 1954, col. 1145.

25 292 H. C. Deb. 5s, July 30, 1934, col. 2339.

26 Middleton, Drew, New York Times, 04 15, 1954Google Scholar.

27 “Agreement concerning the Relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the European Coal and Steel Community,” Cmd.9346, London, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1954Google Scholar.

28 See, e.g., Sir Winston Churchill's speech in House of Commons, June 26, 1950, 476 H. C. Deb. 5s, col. 2122 ff.; Sir Anthony Eden's speech, ibid., especially col. 1913 and 1916.

29 London and Paris Agreements, cited above, p. 25.

30 “Report to the President and the Cabinet,” October 25. 1954. ibid., p. 4.

31 532 H. C. Deb. 5s, November 17, 1954, col. 403.

32 Journal Officiel, Débats Parlementaires, October 8, 1954. P. 4630.

33 515 H. C. Deb. 5s, May II, 1953, col. 891.

34 Layton, Lord, “Britain and Europe,” European Union: A Surrey of Progress, Vol. III, New York, American Committee on United Europe, 08 1953, p. 30ffGoogle Scholar.

35 Harold Macmillan has written that Britain's fear of loosening its ties with the Commonwealth through acceptance of closer links with Europe “is not shared by the Dominions, even in the case of those countries and statesmen whose enthusiasm for the British Empire is the strongest. Mr. Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia, Mr. Holland, Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr. St. Laurent, Prime Minister of Canada—all these are ardent supporters of the European movement. … It may even be that, standing a little further away from the trees than we do on this island, they have a better view of the wood”—“Britain and Europe,” World Review, September 1951, p. 19–20. See also SirFranks, Oliver, Britain and the Tide of World Affairs, London, Oxford University Press, 1955Google Scholar.

36 January 11, 1952; official text in British Information Service Document T, 3, p. 6.

37 London and Paris Agreements, cited above, p. 25.

38 Britain and the Tide of World Affairs, cited above, p. 46.

39 April 2, 1955, p. 13.

40 “Britain and Europe,” World Review, September 1951, p. 19.

41 Whyte, G. Stuart, “Britain and the European Community,” European Youth Campaign pamphlet, 1953Google Scholar.

42 SirChamberlain, Austen, “The Permanent Bases of British Foreign Policy,” Foreign Affairs, 07 1931, P. 541Google Scholar.

43 “The British Attitude to European Union,” The Australian Quarterly, December 1952, p. 25.

44 Gordon Walker, Council of Europe, Consultative Assembly (4th ordinary session), Official Report of Debates, Vol. III, 09 16, 1952, p. 312Google Scholar.

45 Julian Amery, ibid., Vol. II, May 29, 1952, p. 148.

46 Ibid., Vol. V, September 29, 1952, p. 681.

47 Ibid., Vol. III, September 17, 1952, p . 360.

48 New York Times, January 9, 1953, P. 5.

49 Britain and the Tide of World Affairs, cited above, p. 43.

50 “Britain's Strategic Relationship to Europe,” International Affairs, 10 1953 (Vol. 21, No. 4), p. 410Google Scholar.

51 G. Stuart Whyte, cited above.