https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/f78556ce9ad6d209952f4499a2cd8c8c.pdf 974dd9c91c7139e6fd79efad6149b768 PDF Text Text *•* m WIS^-^QD BONN A P R 2 / 6 3 CONFD TO EXTERNAL 2 1 8 INFO WASHDC LDN EMBPARIS NATOPARIS HAGUE BRU ROME BAG COPEN OSLO LISBON ATHENS ANKARA FM LDN REF OURTEL 2 1 6 APRl . . . . GERMAN CCOS VIEWS ON NUCLEAR POLICY AND STRATEGY \ m 7 • . ~ A RECENT CONVERSATION GEN FOERTSCH EXPRESSED THE OPINION THAT THE MULTILATERAL NUCLEAR FORCE WAS .ESSENTIALLY A POLITICAL DEVICE IMPLYING THERE WAS LITTLE MILITARY NEED FOR IT .THERE WERE DOUBTS IN MANY QUARTERS ABOUT USA RESLN TO USE NUCLEAR FORCE I F NECESSARY FOR THE DEFENCE OF EUROPE AND THESE MIGHT HAVE LED TO THE CONCEPT OF A MULTILATERAL NATO NUCLEAR FORCE . H I S TONE AND HIS OTHER REMARKS SUGGESTED THAT HE DID NOT RPT NOT SHARE THESE DOUBTS. 2 . 0 N THE ISSUE OF SURFACE SHIPS AS OPPOSED TO NUCLEAR SUBMARINES, FOERTSCH WAS EQUALLY FRANK.HE SAID,SPEAKING PERSONALLY^HAT HE COULD NOT RPT NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES SHOULD BE ASKED TO MAKE HEAVY FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS IN ORDER TO CREATE A CAPACITY LIMITED TO A FIRST STRIKE ROLE WHEN NO RFf NO SUCH ROLE I S ENVISAGED .FROM THE MILITARY POINT OF VIEW THERE COULD ONLY BE VALUE TO EUROPEANS IN A SECOND STRIKE. CAPACITY, SUCH AS THE AMERICANS THEMSELVES WERE PROVIDING WITH THEIR POLARIS SUBMARINES AND QUOTE MINUTEMEN UNQUOTE. 3.ASKED FOR HIS VIEWS ON THE REASONS FOR THE USA APPARENT PREFERENCE FOR SURFACE CARRIERS FOR THE FORCE,FOERTSCH SAID HE WOULD PREFER NOT RPT NOT TO COMMENT .HOWEVER HE DID SAY THAT USA AUTHORITIES SEEMED MORE ANXIOUS TO RESTRICT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE NUCLEAR SUBMARINE PROPULSION UNITS THAN INFO ABOUT POLARIS M I S S I L E S . SURFACE CARRIERS,HE SAID,WOULD BE COMPLETELY VULNERABLE SINCE USSR HAD THE MEANS QUICKLY TO DETERMINE THEIR LOCATION.IN CASE OF HOSTILITIES HE EXPECTED THEY COULD BE DESTROYED WITHIN A VERY SHORT TIME.(FOERTSCHS REMARKS WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE GERMAN POSITION IN FAVOUR OF NUCLEAR SUBMARINES WILL NOT RPT NOT LIGHTLY BE «,« . 2 000673 �PAGE TWO 2 1 8 ABANDQNNED)* 4.F0ERTSGH SPOKE IN COMPLIMENTARY TERMS OF HIS NEW MINISTER, VON HASSEL .THE LATTER HE SAID WAS INTELLIGENT, QUICK AND SENSIBLE. HE CONCEDED THAT VON HASSELS RESPONSE TO USA ON THE NUCLEAR FORCE HAD BEEN A GOOD DEAL MORE FLEXIBLE THAN THAT STATED ABOVE .THE MINISTER,HOWEVER,HE ADDED,WAS CONSCIOUS OF THE IMPORTANCE FROM A POLITICAL STANDPOINT OF MAKING A FAVOURABLE RESPONSE TO USA PROPOSALS. 5.V0N-HASSEL HOWEVER WAS TRYING TO DO TOO MUCH,GIVEN THE LIMITATIONS IMPOSED BY GERMAN DEFENCE BUDGET .THE 6ERMANS,F0ERTSCH SAID,WERE COMMITTED HEAVILY TO PURCHASE GOODS AND SERVICES FROM USA AND UK TO OFFSET THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE COSTS OF MAINTAINING USA AND BRIT FORCES IN GERMANY.NOW THE GERMAN GOVT WAS PLANNING TO BUILD UP I T S CONVENTIONAL FORCES,TO SPEND VAST SUMS FOR A NATO MULTILATERAL NUCLEAR FORCE,AND TO BUILD UP I T S TERRITORIAL "FORCES.THERE WAS NOT RPT NOT ENOUGH MONEY AVAILABLE TO CARRY OUT ALL THESE PROJECTS. S.FOERTSCH SAID POLITICAL LEADERS OF ALL THREE PARTIES STRONGLY FAVOURED STRENGTHENING THE TERRITORIAL FORCES (PRESUMABLY T H I S PROPOSAL HAS POLITICAL APPEAL AND SIGNIFICANCE AT LEAST IN SOME AREAS).LARGER TERRITORIAL FORCES ALSO MADE MILITARY SENSE SINCE IN SOME AREAS PARTICULARLY IN NORTHERN GERMANY,WHERE THE BRIT ARMY WAS LOCATED,SECURITY FORCES FOR PROTECTING MILITARY INSTALLATIONS,DEPOTS,ETC,WERE INADEQUATE .USA FORCES IN THE SOUTH ON'THE OTHER HAND WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE PROTECTION* 7»WE ASKED FOERTSCH FOR HIS VIEWS ON THE QUESTION OF LAND-BASED MRBMS AMD REFERRED TO CHANCELLOR ADENAUERS VARIOUS STATEMENTS ABOUT THE CONTINUING NEED FOR SUCH WEAPONS .FOERTSCH SMILED AND SAID THAT ADENAUER HAD BEEN TOLD SOME YEARS AGO BY GEN HEUSINGER THAT LAND-BASED MRBMS WERE NECESSARY,AND SINCE THEN HE CONTINUALLY REFERRED TO THEM.FOERTSCH ADDED THAT HE HAD BEEN ONE OF THOSE 000674 » o . O I �» PAGE THREE 2 1 8 RESPONSIBLE AT SHAPE FOR DRAWING UP NATO PLANS SETTING OUT A REQUIREMENT FOR LAND-BASED MRBMS.THE PROBLEM WAS QUITE DIFFERENT CONSIDERED FROM A NATIONAL STANDPOINT WHERE COSTS PLAY SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART.ON THE OTHER HAND THERE WAS NO RPT NO DOUBT THAT SOME LAND=BAS£D MRBMS IN EUROPE WOULD BE USEFUL AS HE PUT I T , T O QUOTE TAKE OUT UNQUOTE SOVIET MRBMS LOCATED EAST OF THE POLISH BORDER .HOWEVER,NO RPT NO SUCH WEAPON CURRENTLY EXISTED IN THE USA ARMORY SO THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT RPT NOT A PRACTICAL ONE AT THE PRESENT T I M E . SoTHERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION OF PRODUCTION SHARING ARRANGEMENTS AND ARMS STANDARDIZATION WHICH BROUGHT OUT FOERTSCHS STRONG SCEPTICISM THAT REALLY SUBSTANTIAL ACHIEVEMENTS COULD BE REALIZED SO LONG AS NATIONAL OUTLOOKS REMAINED SO STRONG.HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT IN EUROPE NATIONAL UNITS WERE TOO SMALL TO PERMIT REALLY EFFECTIVE DEVELOPMENTS EITHER POLITICALLY,ECONOMICALLY OR MILITARILY.THIS APPLIED FOR EXAMPLE TO THE QUOTE FORCE DE FRAPPE UN QUOTE.A UNITED EUROPE ON THE OTHER HAND INCLUDING UK WOULD CONSTITUTE A REAL POWER IN EVERY SENSE.HE VERY MUCH DEPLORED FOR THIS AND OTHER REASONS THE FAILURE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN EEC AND UK STARNES 000675 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDNW03512 Title A name given to the resource CDNW03512 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived "NATO - Nuclear weapons - Policy - NATO long term planning," RG25-A-3-b, vol 5960, file 50219-AL-2-40, part 8-1, Library and Archives Canada (LAC). Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Canadian Crown Subject The topic of the resource Nuclear Weapons Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Canada Declassified Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Language A language of the resource en