L J1 DECLASSIFIED Authority tJ J J 7C95Lf o 28 2 s1GBPm llO FOREIGN DIl3SEM DEPARTMENT OF STATE BUREAU OF INTELLIGENCE AND RESEARCH Research l4emorandum iEU-4 June 6 196 3 TO The Secretary sis HUghee LJPY THROUGH FROM I INR - Thomas L SUBJ1GBPT Franco-German Military NUclear Cooperation I Wldespread interest has been stimulated b y recent reporta of possible Franco-GeJ'lllUl cooperation in IIilitary- and nuclear fields In tbis paper we J1ave reviewed the evidence ot cooperation and present tentative conclusions drawn from it ABSTRACT There is no proof or clear evidence of German collaboration or of agreement for future collaboration with France on the production or development of atomic weapons However relevant information is scanty and D1Uch of it is drawn from allusive remarks b y French and German officials whose meanicg is ambiguous or which contradict one another It has been reported that French representatives have sought German financial participation in the French gaseous diffusion plant at Pierrelatte Such participation would assist the French in their expensive progr811 for the enrichment of source uranium in the isotope U-2J5 The Germans could be interested in cooperation with the French in order to provide a source of eupp of enriched uranium for their nuclear power program Such reporta were denied b y the head of one of the French groups alleged to have sought German participation and by French nbassy officials in Waehington However the allegation was supported b y German officials ot the Ministry of Scientific Research who told our nbassy that the sums expected b y the French are beyond German budgetary capabilities High level German officials have flatly told our Govemment that Germany has no intention of f'urthericg French progress in the mlli tary clear field or in associated weapons systems This pollition wall IItated b y German Defense Minillter von Hassel during bis villit to Washington in February 196 3 In April 196 3 the Chief of the Policy Planning Starf of the German Foreign Ministry told Department officers that Germany sees its defense o in terma of the lUantic Alliance and will never undertake any flirtation with France in the field of nuclear deGBPanse Thill position does not necessarily remove the pollllibility of a Genun interest in Pierrelatte to increase supplies of fuel tor nuclear power plants for civil uses sl1 I1Er NO rolWGN DrssEM ' II DECLASSIFIED Authority lIIA 7C 9SLJ - r - SBCRIT NO P'ORKIGN mSSBM - 2 - The Kv I dence On April 1963 the US Hl ssion to the European COlllmunUies at Brussels was told by Dr F l 1Ii1k the Manager of the Deutsches Atomforum o a German counterpart of the U S Atomic Industrial Forum that certain French represent a ti ves had sought German financial participation in the French gaseous diffusion plant at P l errelatte He said that the French initiative had been taken in December 1962 during a visit to the German Atomforum by an 18-lIlIUl group from the French Atomforum He added that the subject had also been discussed by- representatives of Electricite de France with Geman representatives of the Rhine-Westphalia ElectricityWorks BWB presumably- duriDg recent talks 'j5il the pOllsible joint power reactor project in the vicinity- of Strasbourg In commenting on this report officials of the German Hl nistr r of Scientific Research advised Jrlnbassy BOIlJl that a the discussions were hsld ILt French initiative and b the 8IlJIIS expected by the French were beyond German budgetarycapabilities Any- knowledge of a French approac$ to Germany has been decied by- the French cfficial heading one of the groups visiting Germany In a discussion reported by Embassy Paris on May 10 1963 between a U S ABC scientifio representative in Paris and Jean Lamberton past pre8 l dent of the French Atomforum aIJd bead of the 16-man group WJlich visited the scbes Atomforum in DeCember 1962 the U S ABC representative liaS told that LambertOn knew of no request for German assistance or participation in Pierrelatte Lamberton expressed surprise that one should believe that the French would ask particd pation of Germany- in this program He ssid the subject never came up in his presence duri'ng the French visit in ler sIIy He said that as li well knew German participation in Pierrelatte waS' soliDi ted six or seven years ago when the construction of the French gaseous diffus i on plant was first under aotive consideration but that the Germans declined to participate at that time and ths question of their partioipation has not come up again Camment A German financial and perhaps a technical contribution to the French plant would undoubtedly- speed the availability- of weapons grade uranium for the French nuclear weapons program The Ge wuld benefit by helping to develop at Pierrelatte secondary lIOurce of supp Qr for nuclear fuel that is the Germans wold then have en alternative to the U S supply on wh 1 ch they- now depend exclusive Qr for enriched uran1nm for Wle in German nuclear power plants a dependencs lilich the Germans find burdensome due to U S legislative aIJd procedural requirelllBnts Another report alleging I 'rench-German cooperation appeared in an The Imbassy said it had received a report from the office of the Italian Prime Hl nister citing lien unspecified source- to the effect that a West German firm is producing in April 20 1963 message from Embassy lIome SKCRRT NO I 'OREIGN DISSEM ' V - - SECRE'f HO FOREIGN DISSSM conjunction '1d t l a French GBPL-- n LithiUll-6 which is known as a basic material used in the manuf'acturs of hydrogen bombs The Gi rn an GBPir n was said to have been allowed to use GBPor this purpose experionc6 gai 'ls d by tho Fl-C '1ch in their nuclear research center at Saalay The Italian report also said chat the West German tr 1st Am is collaborating with the Frenell company Toms'on-HaustAn sic probably TlL mpson-Ho 1ston which produces electronic equipment GBPor nuclear react l rs and pl ys a promi Isnt role 1 1 the production oGBP atomio bombs whi h are exploded in th3 Sa 1ulre The Italian report added that according to nsw S in t 'le p ess French and Gern n an i s eers have agreed to work on plans fOr further collaboration bet ree Paris and Bonn COJ lllle nt The lit lrl um-6 isotope is essential to the prod ction of thermonuclear weapons Non-military interest in it is limited essentially to laboratory use in the nuclear field Thera is conoiderabh non-military consumption- of various lithiUIII compounds however Ci-Iilian users of these compouncla lOuld prefer were available the cheaper depleted lithium hydroxide fro n whi h 'QUc of the lith ' um-6 isotope has already been removed Lithium ore is processed in o lithio 1D hydroldds mainly in the U S Canada the UK and Gert'lllrlY Franoe has only a smll C pacit r for the processing oGBP ore Nat lI'al lithium hydroT ide -- the normal first procesSing of lithim l ore and which may have been the activity which t 'le It2lian sourCG intended to indicate wao bGing performed in West Get'llUlllY -- is r i ch in the l ithium-6 is ltope of weapons interest West German GBPaoilities would be capable ' If IlUpplying Fl' ''lce wi '1 all t'ht natural li thiUll hydroxide i t may need Should a Ger nan fir be producing t 'le lithi -6 isoi Jp8 10- - rrl' llce however a logical assumption w-auld bo t - at t 'le ater i al is inhnded for use in the French weapons program Franch and Gerna ' 1 Defanse Ki nisters Dj sCt ss Coopa ation There we '9 raports in 1961 t 'lat str '' sg a Id Jll9s6 lar had disC 1saed German-French cooperation in the nuclear GBPield 1 1 t 'te cO' 1rse of t leir talks on cooperation in military matters NATO SecretarJ General Stikk r told a Da artrlent l officsr in Feb -uar Y 1962 that Strause had confirmed to Stikker t 'lat there lad 'ooan discussion of possible FrancoGerman nuclear cooperation during his tall s -it Hessmer No information has bee 'l obtained on tho nature of the 'nuclsnr cooperation' diacussed or on what if any agres uent was reached Embassy L IY l tigationo throu h 1962 Produce no Mdonoe Other raports f rom our Pari'3 and tl l embassies duri lg 1962 L'ld 196 also asserted that there ISG no e idence up to January 1963 of GSl'II all- Fr 'llch collaboration in the atomic ITdlitary field Embassy Pal-l S reportocl Oll June 15 1952 t 1 lt t 'ere haVG De3n no recant indications oGBP poasible Franco-GGrman nuclear apons coopcrati ' ln n Tne Embassy added that a series of soundings with Fr mch officials in various p l 'ts of the Frenc lJ GovG 'IllIlent uncovered no evidence of Er 1on cooperation Tith the Ge - na Is The Embassy pOi Itecl out that Germany and France were of oourse contr i t1 1g to nul tilatoral prnjacts 0 1 the peaceful uses of atomic energy On July 25 1962 E bssGY Bo m reported that t e- i Md held an exchange of iews d th the British Embassy and had concluded that at prese 1t there does not exist a deliberate intention in German v to embark on II nucleal' weapons pr lgra l either alone or with France On December 10 1962 Embassy nn stated that de' slopElents have reinforced 0 lI' view that no cooperation in the nuclear wesp ns field is activelJ' lUlder consideration On January 196 Thlbassy Paris wao informad by the British Embassy t hat the UK Scientii'io Attache in Bonn had visited L'le German Nuclear Research Center at Karlsruhe and had found no evidence of Franca-German c' lOperation Finally l1bassy Paria reported on May 10 1963 t 'lat the Embassy had made discraet inquiries of French governmental L'ld L Iduetrial sourc s which faLled to confirm reports oGBP a French desire to brL g in German L 9try and finar cing for the Pierrelatte plant SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM - I DECLASSlFIED AU horily AlIll 7 C95LJ a -__________________ SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM -4frepch Government Ppsition When ueried by Embassy Bonn on the Pierrelatte proposal to the GerJ lnns a French of ficial in Bonn who is concerned with scientific cooperation and who has been in Germany since 1945 told our Embassy that while cooperation with Germany in many fields is being explored France is still conscious of the past and that joint R and D with Germany in the atomic I eapone field is not consop ant with Fl'ench national policy COlIIl1ent Even i f what this French official has Sail were the policy of his government the French Government misht well re uest German finE1Ilcial essistance for the Pierrelatte plsnt and still consider that Francs was not in any way asdAting Ge in the atomc weapons field the Freneh could say that Germah benefit was limited to enrich uranium from Pierralatte for peaceful uses At his JanUE ry 14 196 3 press conference General de Gaulle made ata tellBIlts which lIere taken to mean that he wOiJld not obj ect to a Goman initiative to acquire an indepencent nuclear weapons capability Immediately thereafter the French Foreign Office issued a clarif ing stateuant which said Genel al de Gaulle has confidence that the Germans will respect their obligations unJer the WEU Treaty The French Foreil ll Bter told the British Foreign l-linister in a conversation in Paris on April 196 3 that France would not favor aqy arrangement which would alsiat the Germans in obtaining a national nuclear capability In discussing the MLF Ilith Couve de Nurville 011 April 8 or 9 Lord Home made the point thct the concept of the IIATO nucle ll' force IIUS mainly a political attempt to avoid n German interest ill havin a nationcl LtOmiC capability Couve at 'epo -tet b t he 3ri ish Eml ony s lid one lJtc'ulc1 nt t for et th tr e Gr Jltr5 L vo l ir c ient u app tiL C J ffn ato U c 1lI' ' ume t5 and he cor s'lquantly doubted whether this arl'angElllent would sat ii'y thElll In fact he feared we might even be whetting the German appetite Couve expressed the strong belief that whatever we do we must not end up giving in to the Germans 1 During a conversation at the Department of State on April 10 196 3 betveen J Robert Schaetzel Depaty rlssistant Secretary Atlantio Affairs and M Pierre'Pelen Counselor of the French Embassy at Washington Ir Schaetze1 asked if Pelan knew a hing about the Frenah havi approached the Geruans for a $250 million contribution toward tho costs of the Pierrelatte gaseous diffusion plant Pe1en dSnied knowledge of this and asked where the report originated Mr Schaetzel replied that a sourco connected with tho German equivalent of our Atomia Industrial Farum had provided us with the in rorDlution Pelen alleged that the French difinitely did not want technicnl German participution in the Pierrelatte project and probably would not even aacept a financial contribution M Francois de Laage de HelIX Attaahe at the Frencl Embassy who vas present noted that in the pust there had been some unsuccessfUl efforts to create a European gllBeous diffusion plan As tor the future he was sure th t i f BJ international cooperation were to take placo it would be on a European basis not just between Gema lY and France alone SECRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM - 5 - German Government Posit ion German officials have stressed to tJS representativee on recent ocoasions that the FRO has no intention of assisting the French in their nuclear weapons program ntring a lIIIet ing in Bonn on l ebrua17 14 196 Hr GUpatrio u s Deputy SecretaQ of Defense received a note from GerIIan State Secret aQ' Vol laun Hopt of the Ge1'II8II Hl niet17 of Defense which llaid that Geraany doe not expect to receive a request from France to assist the French in the nuclear field but if asked GenIany would not assist Genun Defense Hinieter von Hassel told Mr GUpatric at the Pentagon on Febru r T 25 196' that the l'RG doe not intend to fUrther French progress in the nuclear field through the Genun-French agre_nte On March 13 196 the West German presll qency II'A reported that a spokeeman for the German Defense Hiniet17 had stated that Germany has neither the intention nor the poesibUitiee of building up at oldc aruaents of its own The Genun llpoklllllllllll was quoted as sa ying that the Gerun GoverMent adheres to the WED' renunciation by German y of the production of atOllic biological and chemical weapons He added that Gel'llanY is not cooperating with France or any other count17 in the sphere of atomc U'IIUIents On April 25 196 the Chief of the Policy Planning Staff of the German Foreign Minist ry Hr lUeller-Ro chach told a iroUP of officers at the Departaent that in his opinion de Gaulle would never ask Germany for assistance in developinl the French torce de twpe In anaver to a question as to what the German response would be should the French goverMent request the German governDlent tor asllistance in the field of nuclear develop lent Hr ue1lerRoschach replied that the Gel'lUn position is clear -- Germany eees ite defense in terms of the Atlantic Alliance only Germany cannot expose iteel to the risks of tyine itself to any national program Germany therefore will never undt rtake any flirtation with France in the field ot nuclear defense Comment' It ie possible that the FaG could decide to put funds into the Pierre1atte facUity and argue that they vere not uking All direct a contribution to the French weapons program as wae the U S in supplying enriched uranium fuel for the French submarine development program The GP rmans could contend that assistance to the French is not military but civil cooperation in the field of peaceful uses of nuclear energy ConGBPlu 1on There is no evidence to date that the Germans are presentl y collaborating with the French in the at ollic aUit817 field or that they have agreed to do eo They have or course been cooperating in usu or nuclear energy for peaceful purpoaell A request troa the French for financial assistance to the Pierrelatte plant could be justified on both sides all being a fona or continued coope ation in the peaceful uses field The French could Sa m ra r IIO FOREIGN DISSEM DECLASSIFIED r L DECLASSIF Authority lIItJ07C95LJ _ ----- nora SEem NO FOREIGN DISSEM - 6that the Gemans were receiving enriched uranium 1 or nuclear power plants and the FRG could maintain that its assistance to the French was limited to increasing the available supplies 01 uranium 1 or nuclear power German official statements to us suggest that the FRG recognizes the presept political liabilities of cooperating with the French in the field of development of nuclear weapons This does not remove the possibility that the Germans might participate in Pierrelatte or other gaseous diffusion plants to increase supplies of enriched uranium for civilian applications l L DECLASSIFIED Authority lJ III 0 709 5Lj_ SE CRET NO FOREIGN DISSEM CONFIDENTIAL with Report Number liEU-h INR REPORT AND RELEASE FORM This arm and a distribution list must be completed and submitted in duplicate to CSi1LB Rm 6528 with each INR Jsau uce No classified rcportllU'e released outside the Department uatH speciac approval i iVIm Date Completed June' 196 - Number of PaicS 6 Franco-German Military Nuclear CooPeration Title of Report Self-initiat i Requester N Requester' Due Oate A5C C1 Vnle if Stale HEll tRAlADflllllJl Producer E deasJon 3RS 3 0flice DII1I lonIPro ect SupenJborlProjed Illully DiatrlbutiOl by Producer Clearances Date No a Caple tuDeil LbO 00 R meoded ProJ eI IOl lce O IIera for release to other US Government 81encies specify aD Oistributioa Form o o o Recomll eDded for release to UK Canada Australla ad New Zealand Recommeaded or release to all NATO COWItrles AustraUa and New Zealand D Recommended for release to otber countries specify RecoMmended for release to USIB contractors specify --- o o Not recommended for any distribution other than at indicated by the producioC office Not recommended for release outside the Department Xl Not recGDUDeftded for release outside the US Government Does this Repod contain Yea No Statements which might disclose US policy or alreements in the process of CannulatIon or not yet revealed Statements about other COllfltriea which should not be revealed to foreicn recipients D Cla sified mUltary information Classified illformation clearance for which IIIUst be obtained from uother aceney o foreip lOVernmeat or other noneDepartmental Intel ligeaee source prior to release IiJD IXID IXID DGa Information which is the property of private companies or Individuals that should not be released From tbe intelligence Itandpoint Is there any other reason why this report should not be released o Yoo IXI No REMARKS It is intended that a maoy reports will be released as is possible consistent with aecurity and broad poUey coDsideratioftl Accardi_cly If a report in general seems appropriate for release exceptinc certain portions whieb ft' ay require exdsions or clearances from other acencies the responsible officer should recommend release If lIfty of the precedin question are answered affirmatively please explain below as lIIay be appropriate citin sources and pace numbers and indicatiol passales suuested for delelioa etc OBSE u r1'RTMENT OF STATE RECEIVED JUN 'o 1963 ICO ISBIIOR ROOM 7818 NS E - Arthw D ElIllIlC Typed Name CONFIDENTIAL with -l 'r _-e--' 'l gnalare 613 63 DOle I SECRET NO FOIlEIGN DISSEM attach nt                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu