B. Tour of North Atlantic Treaty Organization capitals and Germany by the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe ¹

^1. At its Sixth Session at Brussels, December 18–19, 1950, the North Atlantic Council completed arrangements for the establishment of an integrated European defense force under a Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (SACEUR). At the request of the Council, President Truman made available General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower to serve as SACEUR while at the same time assuming operational command of all U.S. forces in the European area. On December 19 General Eisenhower named Lt. Gen. Alfred M, Gruenther as his Chief of Staff and announced his intention of making a preliminary trip to France in January 1951 and of establishing his headquarters (SHAPE) somewhere near Paris soon thereafter. For documentation on the designation of General Eisenhower as SACEUR, see Foreign Relations, 1950, vol. iii, pp. 1 ff.

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