SIGNS OF IMPENDING CHANGE IN WEST GERMANY'S FOREIGN POLICY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01443R000200290002-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 27, 2000
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: May 18, 1954
• Content Type: BRIEF

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NSC BRIEFING
18 May 1954
Signs of Impending Change in West Germany's Foreign Policy
The contractual agreements (Bonn treaty of 26 May, 1952)
and the European Defense Community treaty (Paris treaty of 27
May, 1952) together have constituted the keystone of Adenauerts
foreign policy because:
A. The contractual agreements would end the Allied
occupation, granting near sovereignty to West Germany,
but with-some restrictions.
B. Up to now, many West Germans have believed that EDC
would lead to European integration with greater security
and prosperity for the Federal Republic.
C. Many West Germans not favoring EDC on its own merits
supported it as the price to be paid for the contractual
agreements..
II. As French National Assembly has continued to postpone EDC
ratification--and hence implementation of the contractual
agreements--there have been various indications that public
support for Adenauerts European integration policies is fading:
A. In past seven weeks the press and even government
coalition leaders have begun to object to the linking
of the two treaties.
B. The 29 April Bundestag debate on foreign policy
revealed:
1. Adenauer having unprecedented difficulty in
getting coal t n backing for his European
9CRET
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integration policies;
2, Bulk of Adenauer's supporters do not really
believe France will ratify EDC and the planned
European Political Community.
C. Ambassador Conant reported to Washington on 5 May that
West Germany's patience with the occupation is nearly
exhausted,
D, Indications accumulate that the central issues in the
four state elections this summer and particularly this
fall will be progress made toward German sovereignty
and Adenauerts integration policies,
1. Adenauer's Christian Democrats face uphill
battle unless he can point to results by then.
enauer would then ask the West
at least for an immediste public declaration promising early
progress towards German sovereignty.
A. In effect, this would probably mean separating the
.two treaties and proceeding to implement the contractuals
alone,
Be Separating the treaties however would raise new
problems:
1, Ratification of the revised contractuals by all
three Allied parliaments would be necessary,
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2, France, which accepted present version of the
contractuals in 1952 only because controls on German
rearmament were contained in EDC treaty, would seek
insertion of specific controls on rearmament,
3. German politicians have already given ample
indication that, far from accepting additional
restrictions in the contractuals, they would demand
fuller powers for the Federal Republic than they
were willing to accept in 1952,'
4, Separate and difficult negotiations would
probably have to be undertaken to provide for
Germany?s financial contribution to the support of
NATO troops on its territory.
Co Alternative plans for German rearmament to EDC are
still unclear, despite much press speculation in Bonn on
the feasibility of a modified form of EDC,
1. Rearmament, never so pressing an issue to the
West Germans as sovereignty, has become less so
lately, because:
a. Fear of imminent Soviet agression has abated;
b, Hydrogen bomb developments have caused
many West Germans to feel national rearmament
is at present academic,
2. Most West German politicians evidently do not
believe France will approve a German army in NATO
on a basis acceptable to Bonn.
3,
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D. Rise in German nationalism and neutralism might
eventually impair Adenauerts whole policy of close
cooperation with West,
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as Nationalist and neutralist trends are
newly evident in. the statements of politicians
of the opposition Social Democratic Party and
the coalition Free Democratic Party
b. This trend became even more pronounced in
the right wing coalition refugee party with
its 8 May change in leadership.
2. Ruhr industrialists have recently stated that the
restrictions of the Coal Steel Community are
acceptable only as stepping stones to a general
European integration from which West Germany would
profit,
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