Mistaken, Misled or Misguided? British Hopes for German Mediation during the FTA Negotiations

Abstract

The years 1957 and 1958 saw perhaps the most forceful attempts by the British government to utilize German support for British participation in European economic integration short of seeking full membership in the Community. It was public knowledge at the time that a sizable minority within the German government shared the preference for a Free Trade Area over the customs union of the Six. Consequently, British hopes for German support in the FTA negotiations ran high. Their ultimate disappointment in late 1958 has led many a commentator to assume that the government had overestimated the influence of the proponents of the scheme in the decision-making process in Bonn. The focus of this chapter will thus lie on British and German negotiation performance, and a particular emphasis will be placed on the impact of British tactics on the internal debate within the German government.