Communaute Europeenne

How would the French National Assembly (and subsequently Italy) ratifying the European Defense Community treaty in 1954 change the next decade?

I'm thinking in particular of immediate concerns there - Algeria and Suez notably, followed by the formation of the Communaute Francaise; Indochine would already be resolved at this point.

Further on, would FINABEL have a stronger standing in procurement than it did IRL? Especially considering the EDC treaty essentially dictated such a position.
 
How would the French National Assembly (and subsequently Italy) ratifying the European Defense Community treaty in 1954 change the next decade?

I'm thinking in particular of immediate concerns there - Algeria and Suez notably, followed by the formation of the Communaute Francaise; Indochine would already be resolved at this point.

Further on, would FINABEL have a stronger standing in procurement than it did IRL? Especially considering the EDC treaty essentially dictated such a position.

I don´t think it would work.
Even with all national parliaments ratifying the treaty mistrust (most against West Germany, a bit against Italy) will still remain. It´s just 9 years after WW 2 after all!

It probably would have been a three tier system:
- France and the Benelux in the top tier
- Italy in the middle tier
- West Germany at bottom

Given that system, France essentially would be in command given its size. Now add that only German units (under the treaty) would be under direct command of the EDC. All other governments retained ultimate command of their troops.

I just can see how the German public would react to German troops in Algeria under French EDC command. After all the Algerian departments were an integral part of France back then.

Now add development of nuclear weapons. Do you really think that France would share command and control of nuclear weapons?

It´s the same with procurement.
As the dominant country in the EDC, most arms will be designed there too. Just like with the USA in our TL. There might be a mountain gun from Italy, a tank gun from Germany, a fast attack boat from the Netherlands. But the main designs (the more complicated and profitable) will all come from France. West German in the 1950s would submit to that. And once established over a decade, it´ll probably stay that way.
 
But the main designs (the more complicated and profitable) will all come from France. West German in the 1950s would submit to that. And once established over a decade, it´ll probably stay that way.
I'd see that as beneficial in many regards actually.

Consider the Europapanzer - with France at the helm there wouldn't be a split over it, leading essentially to a lighter Leopard armed with a Giat 105mm gun instead of an L7. And no fewer than 6,000 of these too. Or consider the problems Germany had in getting Tartar in the 60s - originally first requested in 1957, actually gotten in 1969; buying Masurca, perhaps even complete Suffrens for comparison would have been no problem to be implemented ten years earlier.
 
It probably would have been a three tier system:
Article 6: The present treaty does not involve any discrimination among the member nations.

I just can see how the German public would react to German troops in Algeria under French EDC command.
In accordance with Article 10, only national units would be at disposal for use in "non-European territories". If a member nation wants to engage part of its national forces on non-european territory (e.g. Algeria) it would have to temporarily remove those from EDC structures. This rather smoothly would have prevented Germany from getting involved in any missions abroad, or staging thus itself.
Also, these are the only national troops allowed to France btw. A national Force de Frappe (which imo too would be likely) would require an alteration of the treaty itself.

Personally, i find it a historical oddity that a treaty as detail-obsessed as the EDC treaty never came to pass. Hell, there even was already a mutual defense treaty between the EDC and the UK using the verbatim mutual-defense clause of the WEU treaty.
 
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