Katana VentraIP

Western Union (alliance)

The Western Union (WU), also referred to as the Brussels Treaty Organisation (BTO),[1] was the European military alliance established between France, the United Kingdom (UK) and the three Benelux countries in September 1948 in order to implement the Treaty of Brussels signed in March the same year.[Note 1] Under this treaty the signatories, referred to as the five powers, agreed to collaborate in the defence field as well as in the political, economic and cultural fields.

This article is about the military alliance in existence from 1948 to 1954. For the American financial services company, see Western Union. For other uses, see Western Union (disambiguation).

Western Union

Alliance

21–25 February 1948

17 March 1948

28 September 1948

25 June 1950

1951

23 October 1954

During the Korean War (1950–1953), the headquarters, personnel and plans of the WU's defence arm, the Western Union Defence Organisation (WUDO), were transferred to the newly established North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), providing the nucleus of the European half of NATO's command structure (Allied Command Europe), led by Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE). As a consequence of the failure of the European Defence Community in 1954, the London and Paris Conferences led to the Modified Treaty of Brussels (MTB) through which the Western Union was transformed into the Western European Union (WEU) and was joined by Italy and West Germany. As the WEU's functions were transferred to the European Union's (EU) European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) at the turn of the 21st century, the Western Union is a precursor of both NATO and the military arm of the EU.

the Cultural Identity Card, which the WU instituted to give mutual facilities to each member state for cultural purposes. It could be issued to student, teachers and researchers. It carried an embossed stamp representing the .[19] The WU card was superseeded by the Council of Europe cultural identity Card.[20]

Brussels Town Hall

the 1951 Western Union International Guide for Young People

[21]

The Treaty of Brussels had cultural and social clauses, concepts for the setting up of a 'Consultative Council'. The basis for this was that a cooperation between Western nations would help stop the spread of Communism.


Examples of this cooperation include

Treaty establishing the European Defence Community

Western European Union

European Union

Treaty of Brussels

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

History of NATO

The Western Union and its Defence Organization, , 94:576, 519-535 (1949), DOI: 10.1080/03071844909419583

RUSI Journal

European Navigator

History of the Western Union

Western Union ‘International Guide for Young People’ (1951)

British parliamentary resolution

Work of the Brussels Treaty Organisation between May, 1948 and September, 1952

NATO_Facts_and_Figures_1989

Archives

Life Magazine Article from 25 April 1949

London Illustrated News

London Illustrated News article 1

London Illustrated News article 2

Locations 1

Locations 2

Montgomery visiting Chateau des Fougeres

SHAPE history

Memorandum by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense (Forrestal)

Operation Bulldog

Keeping the Peace

A Community of Interests: NATO and the Military Assistance Program, 1948-1951

1951 Agreement with the Council of Europe

Clip