Eden plans

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The Eden Plans are those named after the British Foreign Minister Robert Anthony Eden and presented by him on September 16, 1952 and during the Berlin Foreign Ministers' Conference from January 25 to February 18, 1954, for the unification of Europe or for a possible early reunification Germany . Anthony Eden was also a signatory of the German Treaty of 1952, according to which the Federal Republic of Germany was given back sovereignty over its internal and external affairs. Robert Schuman had already discussed his political plan for union with Anthony Eden in June 1952. Eden's hopes were directed towards building the political integration of the six powers of the coal and steel union into the Council of Europe.

background

Concept of the first Eden plan

From 15 to 30 September 1952 one was meeting the "Consultative Assembly" of Europe instead, a debate on the future of Europe was performed. At the conference on September 16, 1952, Eden presented its first plan, the creation of an "Atlantic Alliance" consisting of Belgium , Denmark , France , Greece , Great Britain, Iceland , Italy , Canada , Luxembourg , the Netherlands , Norway , Portugal and the USA provided. This should be worn by:

  • USA, Canada: Participation in European regional associations, without voting rights
  • Great Britain with Commonwealth : Special position with regard to the European regional associations
  • Council of Europe with 14 member states: without USA and Canada, with Germany

Eden presented his second plan, this time with reference to the conditions of a possible reunification of Germany, at the Berlin Foreign Ministers' Conference, which ran from January 25 to February 18, 1954 , where Eden's plan contrasted with that of Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov . Winston Churchill had been pressing for this meeting since word of Stalin's death had reached him. The conference ultimately failed due to the lack of willingness to compromise, as the four occupying powers had the goal of making peaceful coexistence in Europe possible, but achieving this was always linked to their conception of Germany policy, which is why it was not possible to agree on a concept. Eden planned the following for Germany:

  • Free elections throughout Germany to form a national assembly
  • Convocation of the National Assembly
  • Elaboration of a draft constitution and preparation of peace negotiations
  • Adoption of the constitution and formation of an all-German government that is responsible for the
  • Signing and entry into force of the peace treaty should bear

Eden's German political goal was to create a democratic Germany that was united according to Western standards and thus integrated into the West. However, with the failure of this conference, the disruption of the Western integration advocated by Konrad Adenauer was averted.

The Soviet Foreign Minister Molotov rejected the plan as completely unacceptable and thereupon submitted his own proposals to the conference ( Molotov Plan ).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Foreign policy situation. In: Federal Archives. Retrieved August 24, 2015 .
  2. ↑ Berlin Foreign Minister Conference (1954) in the database Dodis the Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland
  3. ↑ ANTHONY EDEN - The older hands . In: Der Spiegel . tape 39 , September 24, 1952 ( online [accessed August 24, 2015]).
  4. ↑ Jong Hoon Shin: A special relationship to European integration: Prehistory and development of the EEC in the German and British public 1954-1959. (PDF) In: pp. 64 ff. 2007, accessed on August 24, 2015 .
  5. ^ The Activities of the Council of Europe - Historical Events of the European Integration (1945–2009) - CVCE website. In: www.cvce.eu. Retrieved August 24, 2015 .
  6. ↑ Germany Treaty (1952). In: Constitutions. Retrieved August 24, 2015 .
  7. ↑ European planning. (PDF) In: Union in Germany - Information Service. July 26, 1952, accessed August 24, 2015 .
  8. ^ Hans August Lücker: Our fatherland Europe. (PDF) University of Trier, accessed on August 24, 2015 .
  9. ↑ Duitslandstudies: The plans of Robert Anthony Eden. (No longer available online.) In: duitslandstudies.blogspot.de. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016 .;
  10. ↑ REUNIFICATION No initiative . In: Der Spiegel . tape March 10 , 1954 ( online [accessed August 24, 2015]).
  11. ^ Cabinet Minutes : Foreign and Germany Policy. In: Federal Archives. Retrieved August 24, 2015 .
  12. ↑ FOUR CONFERENCE: key lies in the Far East . In: Der Spiegel . tape 8 , February 17, 1954 ( online [accessed August 24, 2015]).
  13. ↑ Deutschlandfunk: January 25, 1954 - 50 years ago. Retrieved August 24, 2015 .
  14. ^ HdG caricatures - page content. In: www.hdg.de. Retrieved August 24, 2015 .
  15. ↑ Four voices and no quartet . In: The time . February 18, 1954 ( online [accessed August 24, 2015]).
  16. ↑ Hans-Jürgen Schröder: American policy on Germany in the Cold War 1954-1961. (PDF) Retrieved August 24, 2015 .