CFM Files: Lot M–88: Box 152: SFM Documents 1–40
Proposed NATO Resolution on Command and Organization of Force for Defense of Europe1
Document 24 (Revised) [D–3/7a]2
[The Council]
Approves:
The concept of an integrated force under NATO control adequate to insure the successful defense of Europe.
Recognizes:
That it is urgent to provide the organization necessary to insure that such a force is organized and trained effectively.
Decides:
That the composition, organization and command of the integrated force shall be based upon the following principles:
- 1.
- That the integrated force shall be under a Supreme Commander who will be appointed as soon as sufficient forces are contained within that integrated force.
- 2.
- That the Commander of the integrated force will operate under over-all NATO control within agreed geographical units. He shall, in time of peace, have delegated authority to insure that the force is organized and trained effectively and will, in time of war, exercise full powers as Supreme Commander over that force.
- 3.
- That the contributing nations shall specifically allocate the forces to be placed under the control of the Supreme Commander in time of peace and those which will initially be placed under his command in the event of war.
- 4.
- That the Standing Group shall exercise highest strategic direction over the integrated NAT force through its Commander, and will determine the military requirements of that force.
- 5.
- That as an immediate step there shall be appointed a representative of the Supreme Commander to prepare the ground for his ultimate arrival, and that he shall be provided with a combined staff in Europe drawn from nationals of all nations contributing to the integrated force.
Requests:
That the Defense Committee shall, as a matter of urgency, take the steps necessary to effect the consequent changes and simplification required [Page 1282] in the existing military structure of NATO, and related military organizations, in accordance with the principles set out in paragraphs 1 to 5 above.
- Attached to the source text was a cover sheet, not printed, which indicated that this paper was a revision of Document 24 and had been agreed by representatives of the United States, United Kingdom, and France on the official level. For a record of the discussion leading to some of the drafting changes, see the minutes of the third meeting of the Foreign Ministers, September 13, p. 1209.↩
- Brackets in the source text, the origin and meaning of which are unclear.↩