INTRODUCTION The accession of the Federal Republic of Germany to NATO was cause for great celebration in 1955. Extending the invitation to Germany to accede to the North Atlantic Treaty was a highly symbolic expression of the hopes and aspirations of the Alliance for a renewed vision of Euro-Atlantic peace and security amidst the heated backdrop of the Cold War. To mark the 60th anniversary of this historic accession, the NATO Archives is putting the spotlight on the formal documents and ceremonies that marked Germany’s integration into the Euro-Atlantic family. Archival photos originally taken during the invitation and accession ceremonies at the Ministerial Meetings in October 1954 and May 1955, respectively, have been selected and arranged to present a unique visual record of how the Alliance came together in a spectacular public display of unity to welcome their 15th member. The NATO Archives is particularly pleased to draw from its vaults the original signed protocol of accession for Germany, reproduced here in its entirety to serve as a documentary reminder of the long-lasting commitments made by all the signatories at this historic juncture. Special thanks go to the Office of Treaty Affairs at the U.S. Department of State for providing the excellent facsimile of the original instrument of accession by Germany to the North Atlantic Treaty. This rarely seen historical document, originally deposited in Washington DC on 6 May 1955 and now preserved in the archives of the State Department, is reproduced here with the kind permission of the German Delegation to NATO. I hope the images and documents presented in the following pages help to communicate the sense of excitement, majesty and magnitude that was associated with Germany’s formal accession to NATO. Should you wish to learn more about the complex discussions, consultations and negotiations that led to this momentous occasion, I invite you to consult the original (and now publicly disclosed) NATO documents on the subject in the NATO Archives Reading Room or on NATO Archives Online. Ineke Deserno NATO Archivist 1 2 THE HISTORIC DOCUMENTS OF THE ACCESSION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY TO NATO DECLASSIFIED - PUBLIC DISCLOSURE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ - MISE EN LECTURE PUBLIQUE LECTURE EN - MISE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ DISCLOSURE - PUBLIC DECLASSIFIED 4 DECLASSIFIED - PUBLIC DISCLOSURE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ - MISE EN LECTURE PUBLIQUE LECTURE EN - MISE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ DISCLOSURE - PUBLIC DECLASSIFIED 5 6 7 THE NATO FOREIGN MINISTERS -1954 Belgium: Paul-Henri Spaak Iceland: Kristinn Gudmundsson Portugal: Paulo Cunha Canada: Lester B. Pearson Italy: Gaetano Martino Turkey: Fuat Köprülü Denmark: Hans Christian Hansen Luxembourg: Joseph Bech United Kingdom: Anthony Eden France: Pierre Mendès-France Netherlands: Johan Willem Beyen United States: John Foster Dulles Greece: Stephanos Stephanopoulos Norway: Halvard Lange 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 DECLASSIFIED - PUBLIC DISCLOSURE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ - MISE EN LECTURE PUBLIQUE LECTURE EN - MISE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ DISCLOSURE - PUBLIC DECLASSIFIED 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 THE 16TH MINISTERIAL MEETING AT NATO HEADQUARTERS PALAIS DE CHAILLOT, PARIS 9 MAY 1955 26 DECLASSIFIED - PUBLIC DISCLOSURE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ - MISE EN LECTURE PUBLIQUE LECTURE EN - MISE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ DISCLOSURE - PUBLIC DECLASSIFIED 27 28 29 30 31 32 The red, black and gold flag of the Federal Republic of Germany flies for the first time in the front courtyard of NATO Headquarters. 33 34 THE ARRIVAL OF THE MINISTERS Chancellor Konrad Adenauer of the Federal Republic of Germany arrives for his first North Atlantic Council Meeting. 36 37 38 39 40 The Canadian Secretary of External Affairs Mr. Lester B. Pearson , an original signatory of the North Atlantic Treaty. 41 Joseph Bech, the Prime Minster and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Luxembourg. 42 Hans Christian Hansen, Prime Minster and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. 43 44 John Foster Dulles, the American Secretary of State and firm believer in the importance of international mutual security. 45 46 47 48 Harald Macmillan, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs of the United Kingdom. Within two years, he would become Prime Minster of the United Kingdom. 49 Antoine Pinay, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, checks in. 50 51 The ever-suave Gaetano Martino, the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Italy. 52 53 Paul-Henri Spaak, the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs who would become the second Secretary General of NATO. 54 THE DELEGATES’ LOUNGE 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 Chancellor Adenauer chats with Johan Willem Beyen, Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands, outside of the North Atlantic Council meeting room. 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 INSIDE THE COUNCIL ROOM 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 The Deputy Secretary General of NATO Jonkheer van Vrendenburgh (left, sitting in for the absent Secretary General Lord Ismay) with the Chairman of the Council, Greek Foreign Minister Stephan Stephanopoluos. 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 THE OFFICIAL STATEMENTS OF WELCOME 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 FAMILY PORTRAIT CHANCELLOR ADENAUER POSES WITH THE NATO FOREIGN MINISTERS AND THEIR RESPECTIVE PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVES 162 163 164 165 Lord Richard Coleridge, the first Executive Secretary of NATO, peers through the looking glass in preparation for the Family Portrait. 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 DECLASSIFIED - PUBLIC DISCLOSURE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ - MISE EN LECTURE PUBLIQUE LECTURE EN - MISE / DÉCLASSIFIÉ DISCLOSURE - PUBLIC DECLASSIFIED 178 179 180.