No. 531
Editorial Note
Following the completion of the Berlin Conference three exchanges of notes with the Soviet Union took place during 1954 concerning European security and the German question. In a note dated March 31, the Soviet Union proposed that it join NATO and suggested that the United States might join its projected European Security Treaty. This proposal was rejected immediately in public statements and in a formal reply of the three Western powers dated May 7. For further documentation on this exchange of notes, see volume V, Part 1, pages 487 ff.
On July 24 the Soviet Union transmitted a second note to the Western powers, this time calling for a meeting to discuss collective security in Europe. The pact arising from such a meeting would include Eastern and Western Germany, would unite Germany, and would provide for the withdrawal of occupation forces. When no answer to this note was immediately forthcoming, the Soviet Union on August 4 proposed a four-power meeting for August or September to do the preliminary work for the security conference. The Western reply came on September 10. In it the [Page 1233] United States, the United Kingdom, and France agreed to a four-power meeting provided that the Soviet Union signed the Austrian Treaty and agreed to free elections in Germany as preconditions. For text of the Soviet note, the August 4 proposal, and the tripartite reply, see Department of State Bulletin, September 20, 1954, pages 397–402. Documentation on the drafting of the reply is in file 396.1.
The Soviet Union responded with two further notes. The first, dated October 23, proposed a four-power conference to be held in November to discuss German unity, the withdrawal of occupation forces, and the calling of an all-European security conference. The second, dated November 13, issued invitations to a conference, which would open on November 29, to discuss the creation of a European collective security system. The Western reply, dated November 29, again asked for preconditions including the signing of the Austrian Treaty, a Soviet declaration on free elections for Germany, and a meeting of the four powers only after the Paris Agreements (see volume V, Part 1, page 684) had been signed. For the texts of the Soviet notes and the Western reply, see Department of State Bulletin, December 13, 1954, pages 901–907. Documentation on the drafting of the tripartite reply is in file 396.1. Since the Western powers had rejected the Soviet invitation, the European Security Conference that opened November 29 at Moscow was limited to the Soviet Union and its satellites with a Chinese observer.