6 May 2005

Germany's accession to NATO: 50 years on Opinion 04/05/2005 - NATO Germany’s accession to NATO: 50 years on - Helga Haftendorn analyses the debates and events surrounding Germany’s accession to NATO 50 years ago. (.PDF/414Kb) Bibliography 23/05/2005 - NATO Germany's accession to NATO: 50 years on (.PDF/33Kb) Multimedia 18/04/2005 - NATO Commemorating 50 years of Germany in NATO - Video interview with Ambassador Rüdiger Reyels, German Permanent Representative to NATO Links Website of the German Delegation to NATO On 6 May 1955, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer took for the first time the seat of Germany at the North Atlantic Council table. On 6 May 1955, the Federal Republic of Germany became NATO's 15th member in the Alliance's second round of enlargement. This event was an important step in the country's post-war rehabilitation and paved the way for Germany to play a substantial role in the defence of Western Europe during the Cold War. To mark this anniversary, German Ambassador to NATO, Dr. Ruediger Reyels, explains in a special video interview the historical significance of Germany joining the Alliance and how NATO provides a framework for German foreign and security policy. Also, in the NATO Review, NATO’s quarterly magazine, Helga Haftendorn, professor emeritus of political science and international relations at the Free University of Berlin, provides an analysis of the debates and events surrounding Germany's accession to NATO.