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    "label": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 39-48, France's German Policy",
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    "title": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 39-48, France's German Policy",
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    "ocrText": "FRANCE'S GERMAN POLICY\n1.\nGENERAL POLICY TOWARD GERMANY.\nThe primary aim of French policy toward Germany since 1944 has been to prevent\na revival of German domination in Europe. This objective can be clearly discerned\nin the action taken by the French Government during the past two years in the ad-\nministration of the French zone of occupation and, more recently, in connection with\nthe Six-Power Agreements for the establishment of a west German Government.\nThis objective will continue to dominate French policy in Germany, but the program\nfor preventing German resurgence by decentralizing and restricting German economic\nand political life is being modified by the trend toward the collective security of a\nwestern bloc. Under the pressures created by the growing Soviet threat and expand-\ning US security interests in Western Europe, France has made substantial concessions\nto US and UK policy in regard to the economic rehabilitation and administrative in-\ntegration of the three western zones of Germany. To the degree that these pressures\ncontinue to favor economic and political integration and measures for defense of the\nWestern European countries, supported by US guarantees and including western\nGermany, France will modify its policies in Germany and continue to cooperate with\nthe US in Europe.\nThe negotiations carried on during the past ten months among the US, UK,\nFrance, and the Benelux countries toward the creation of a west German state have\nresulted, moreover, in a realization on the part of the French Government that a uni-\nlateral and traditionally harsh policy which would isolate Germany is less favorable\nin the long run to French security interests than a policy directed toward the incorpora-\ntion of Germany into a western bloc or European federation in which France can play\nan important role.\nEven a change in the international situation, resulting in a decline in US military\nand economic commitments in Europe, would probably not result in a reversion of\nFrench policy to its traditional form. The impetus toward the collective strength of\na European bloc appears to have created a fundamental trend in French policy toward\nGermany. Even in the absence of US pressure toward this end, it is likely that France\nwill seek a solution to the German problem through unity of action with other European\npowers.\nFrench policy on many specific issues, particularly those regarding the future po-\nlitical organization of Germany, will nevertheless continue to result in conflicts with\nUS policy. French opinion will always be extremely sensitive on the German question.\nIn regard to the economic restoration of Germany, France will oppose-and try to\norganize European opinion against-any action by the US which appears to subordi-\nnate France's security fears toward Germany to US security fears toward Soviet Russia.\nAny action taken by the US without prior consultation with France and affecting\npoints of disagreement in regard to Germany will run the risk of providing a serious\nsetback to the process of cooperation between the Western Powers and the US.\n3"
}