Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Western Europe, Volume III

740.5/9–2650: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State

top secret

New York, September 26, 1950—9:11 p. m.

Secto 55. Following is resolution agreed today in Council:¹

The North Atlantic Council:

Having fully discussed the measures taken and planned for the defense of Western Europe;

and

Noting the resolution of the Council Deputies concerning the adequacy of such measures and agreeing with the deputies conclusions that the aggregate of the efforts so far reported are still far short of the requirements for the defense of Western Europe;

Concludes:

That the defense of Western Europe will require:

(a) The establishment at the earliest possible date of an integrated force under centralized command and control composed of forces made available by governments for the defense of Western Europe;

(b) The full utilization of manpower and productive resources available from all sources;

Approves:

The concept of an integrated force adequate to deter aggression and ensure the defense of Western Europe, including Western Germany,

Agrees:

That such an integrated force shall be established at the earliest possible date, and that the composition, organization and command of such force shall be based upon the following principles:

1. The force shall be organized under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and shall be subject to political and strategic guidance exercised by the appropriate agencies of the North Atlantic Treaty.

2. The force shall be under the command of a Supreme Commander. The geographic limits of his command in peacetime shall be clearly defined. He will in peacetime have sufficient delegated authority to ensure that the national units allocated to his command are organized and trained into an effective integrated force. He will exercise the full powers of a supreme commander in the event of war.

3. The Supreme Commander shall be appointed as soon as there is assurance that national forces will be made available for the integrated force adequate to enable the latter to be reasonably capable of fulfilling its responsibilities.

4. Pending the appointment of a Supreme Commander, there shall be appointed forthwith a Chief of Staff who shall be responsible, and be endowed with the necessary authority, for the organization and training of forces made available by the national governments.

5. The Supreme Commander, and pending his appointment the Chief of Staff, shall be provided with a combined international staff drawn from the nationals of all nations contributing to the force. The first task of the staff should be to plan and take the measures necessary to implement the organization of the integrated force.

6. The integrated force should be composed of national units. Governments concerned should make firm commitments at the earliest possible date as to the forces to be placed under the control of the Supreme Commander in peacetime, including the date upon which they will be placed under his control and as to the additional forces which will initially be placed under his command in the event of war.

7. The Standing Group shall be responsible for higher strategic direction in areas in which combined North Atlantic Treaty forces are operating. As such it will be the superior military body to which the Supreme Commander, and pending his appointment the Chief of Staff, will be responsible. It will also determine the military requirements of the integrated force.

Requests:

That the Defense Committee consider and recommend to the Council as a matter of urgency:

a. The detailed steps necessary to establish the integrated force in accordance with the foregoing principles.

b. The powers to be exercised by the Supreme Commander in peacetime and the geographical limits within which he should exercise them.

c. The method and timing of contributions by governments of national units in being to the integrated force.

d. The further authority, if any, which the standing group would require so as to ensure effective discharge of its responsibilities and also what adjustments in its organization and its present relations with the accredited representatives may be required to assure and improve the necessary close working relationship between the standing group and the member governments not represented on it.

e. The consequent changes and simplifications required in the existing military structure of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and related military organizations.

f. The channel by which the higher direction of the integrated force as regards political considerations upon which strategic decisions should be based can most effectively be conveyed by the Council to the military agencies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Further states:

That it has considered the question of the nature, extent and timing of German participation in the build-up of the defense of Western Europe, and has noted that this matter is now under discussion by the three occupying powers with the German Federal Government. Since in the view of many of the ministers the proper and early solution of this problem is intimately connected with the successful implementation of the plan outlined above, that plan is not finalized at this time.

Accordingly requests:

The Defense Committee in the light of the information available at the time of its meeting, to make specific recommendations regarding the method by which, from the technical point of view, Germany could make its most useful contribution to the successful implementation of the plan, bearing in mind the unanimous conclusion of the Council that it would not serve the best interests of Europe or of Germany to bring into being a German national army or a German general staff.

Department pass Defense and interested Missions.

Acheson

1. This resolution is later referred to as Council Document C 5–D/11 (Final), “Resolution on the Defense of Western Europe,” September 26, 1950.