The 1957 Paris summit was the first
NATO summit
A NATO summit is a summit meeting that is regarded as a periodic opportunity for heads of state and heads of government of NATO member countries to evaluate and provide strategic direction for Alliance activities.
NATO summits are not regular ...
bringing the leaders of member nations together at the same time. The formal sessions and informal meetings in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
took place on 16–19 December 1957. This was only the second meeting of the NATO heads of state following the ceremonial signing of the
North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949.
Background
At the time of the 1957 summit, NATO countries were at what ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' and others labeled as a crucial "crossroads" in their relationship. The summit was designed as "a reconsideration of the relationship of the strategy for the defense of Western Europe", particularly in light of fading US nuclear superiority with regard to the Soviet Union. The summit was considered to be the main American diplomatic response to the Russian launch of the orbiting ''Sputnik'' satellite.
The unanimous agreement in principle to deploy intermediate range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) in Europe was counterbalanced by the decision to emphasize diplomatic negotiations with the Soviets. The ratification of this two-pronged strategy was one of the summit's accomplishments. British Prime Minister
Harold Macmillan
Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, (10 February 1894 – 29 December 1986) was a British Conservative statesman and politician who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. Caricatured as "Supermac", he ...
was the leader of those pushing for a "dual-track" approach in dealing with threats to international stability. He argued in favor of two separate, but parallel agendas—one military and the other political.
The summit discussions resulted in a dilution of the defiant posture the Americans had argued for NATO to adopt.
Agenda
The general discussions focused on the need for cooperation in order to mitigate conflict in international policies and in order to further encourage economic collaboration, including
* Reaffirming of the principle purposes;
* Confirming the unity of the Atlantic Alliance;
* Improving the coordination and organization of NATO forces;
* Improving the coordination and organization of political consultations; and
* Recognizing the need for closer economic ties;
* Location of tactical nuclear weapons in member states as well as
nuclear-free zones.
See also
*
EU summit
This is a list of meetings of the European Council (informally referred to as EU summits); the meetings of the European Council, an Institutions of the European Union, institution of the European Union (EU) comprising head of state, heads of sta ...
*
G8 summit
*
Thulegate
On 21 January 1968, an aircraft accident, sometimes known as the Thule affair or Thule accident (; da, Thuleulykken), involving a United States Air Force (USAF) Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, B-52 bomber occurred near Thule Air Base in the Danish ...
Notes
References
* Nash, Philip. (1997)
''The other missiles of October: Eisenhower, Kennedy, and the Jupiters, 1957-1963.''Chapel Hill:
University of North Carolina Press
The University of North Carolina Press (or UNC Press), founded in 1922, is a university press that is part of the University of North Carolina. It was the first university press founded in the Southern United States. It is a member of the Ass ...
.
* Thomas, Ian Q.R. (1997)
''The promise of alliance: NATO and the political imagination.''Lanham:
Rowman & Littlefield
Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing compa ...
. ;
* White, Brian. (1992).
''Britain, détente, and changing East-West relations.''London:
Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law, and ...
.
External links
NATO update, 1957
{{DEFAULTSORT:Paris summit 1957
1957 Paris summit
The 1957 Paris summit was the first NATO summit bringing the leaders of member nations together at the same time. The formal sessions and informal meetings in Paris, France took place on 16–19 December 1957. This was only the second meeting of ...
Diplomatic conferences in France
Summit
A summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. The topography, topographic terms acme, apex, peak (mountain peak), and zenith are synonymous.
The term (mountain top) is generally used ...
20th-century diplomatic conferences
1957 in international relations
France and NATO
December 1957 events in Europe
1957 in military history
1957 conferences