Editing Konrad Adenauer (section)

==== German rearmament ====
From the beginning of his Chancellorship, Adenauer had been pressing for [[German rearmament (post-WWII)|German rearmament]]. After the outbreak of the [[Korean War]] on 25 June 1950, the U.S. and Britain agreed that West Germany had to be rearmed to strengthen the defenses of Western Europe against a possible Soviet invasion. Further contributing to the crisis atmosphere of 1950 was the bellicose rhetoric of the East German leader [[Walter Ulbricht]], who proclaimed the reunification of Germany under communist rule to be imminent.{{sfn|Gaddis|1998|p=124}}{{sfn|Large|1996|p=66}} To soothe French fears of German rearmament, the French Premier [[René Pleven]] suggested the so-called [[Pleven plan]] in October 1950 under which the Federal Republic would have its military forces function as part of the armed wing of the multinational [[European Defense Community]] (EDC).{{sfn|Gaddis|1998|p=125}} Adenauer deeply disliked the "Pleven plan", but was forced to support it when it became clear that this plan was the only way the French would agree to German rearmament.{{sfn|Schwarz|1995|pp=592–594}}

[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2005-0062, Bonn, Ermekeilkaserne, Adenauer, Blank, Heusinger.jpg|thumb|upright|Adenauer in 1950 at the Ermekeil barracks in Bonn with [[Adolf Heusinger]] (right), one of the authors of the Himmerod memorandum]]