Western Union (alliance)

Western Union
1948–1954
Badge of WU
Badge
StatusAlliance
Capital
Historical eraCold War
21–25 February 1948
17 March 1948
• WUDO established
28 September 1948
• Korean War breaks out
25 June 1950
• NATO absorbs WUDO
1951
• Superseded by the WEU by the Modified Treaty of Brussels
23 October 1954
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Treaty of Dunkirk
Western European Union
Today part of

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.

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.

  1. ^ "BBC Politics 97". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-14.


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