Talk about collective security in Europe.
On this very day - November 13, 1954, the Soviet Union sent notes to 23 countries in Europe and the USA about convening a conference for collective security in Europe.
The reason was the decision of the Western countries (mainly the USA, Great Britain and France) to allow the rearmament of Germany and to include it in NATO.
As always, our country suggested that instead of escalating everything should be considered and discussed.
Of course we have to remember the historical structure of the moment. Stalin is dead. Developing a unified approach at the top of the Soviet Union caused difficulties. Simply put, a clear strategy is lacking. The West saw it.
Moscow also considered the possibility of uniting the two Germanys. And there was no time to hesitate. On October 23, 1954, the Paris Agreements were signed, which included Germany in the NATO system and the Western European Union. Their ratification was before.
The Soviet Union had two concerns:
German armament;.
New militarization and the strengthening of the Western bloc.
The US ambassador in Moscow, Charles Bullen, warned Washington: Moscow's response should not be seen as mere propaganda - the leadership of the Soviet Union takes the Paris Agreements very seriously.
The USA, UK and France did not respond to the invitation.
The lists of the Soviet Union, in general, were a continuation of dialogic diplomacy. Even then we believed that an agreement should be reached and if a warning should be given. It was hard to suspect the winning country of indecision.
Still, in February 1954, at the Berlin meeting, Vyacheslav Molotov proposed a pan-European agreement on collective security.
Moscow even agreed to discuss the full participation of the United States in such a system and at the same time declared its willingness to consider its own entry into NATO.
On May 7, Moscow refused, calling the proposal "completely unrealistic" and contrary to the principles of the Western defense system.
What exactly was proposed on November 13, 1954?
The essence of Moscow's idea came down to clear principles and measures:
The Soviet Union proposed a pan-European treaty: a common system of guarantees.