An Attempt to Establish the European Army: The Pleven Plan
An Attempt to Establish the European Army: The Pleven Plan

Summary/Abstract: In the 1950’s the European integration took a step towards a European army, such a remarkable step, that since then no one came so close as they did. With the Treaty Constituting the European Defence Community in 1952 a supranational common European army almost came into existence. Ahead of its time, the Pleven Plan offered the integration on the military side too soon after World War II. To create a strong foreign policy for the united Europe, it would have needed an army too.The main cause that led to the EDC was the unsettled status of West Germany, the need to resettle it to the European setting, also on the military side, leading to its rearmament. The fear of the German aggression led France to seek the lesser evil and not rearm West Germany, but create a European military organisation and gain common control over any troops of West Germany. Fascinating thing is that France, the creator of the idea of the EDC was also who brought its downfall.

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