West German nuclear armament in 1958. What exactly happened?

Mohmar Deathstrike

Mohmar Deathstrike

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On 03/25/1958 the Bundestag (the West German congress) decided to arm the Federal Republic with nuclear weapons. How come Germany is not a nuclear power then? The way I see it, there are three main things that may have happened:

1) The government decided not to carry this out in the end because they feared that the extra-congressional opposition, i.e. the majority of the population would vehemently oppose this and call for reelections.

2) Some secret diplomatic events involving mainly the United States and perhaps the Soviet Union forced the German government to abandon this project.

3) The Bundeswehr ("Federal Defense") was actually armed with nukes in utmost secrecy and Germany is today the "most secret" nuclear power.

I know that American nuclear missiles were (are still?) stationed in Germany but that hardly counts since they're exclusively under American command.

If you know more than me on this matter, your imput is highly appreciated peoiple! (If you don't it'll still be appreciated to some extend 8) )
 
Until recently it had been thought that #1, the opposition of the German population to the idea, was the cause of the West German government quietly dropping its plans to build nuclear weapons.
However, secret documents have come to light which showed that the USA did apply strong, but discreet pressure on the West German government to abandon the project.
 
I'd imagine #2, though I haven't heard of any secret documents (not to say that there aren't).

I think it's obvious to all that Germany could *very* easily be a nuclear power if there was the political will and climate for it to happen. Germany is still after all one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world.

I suspect that, had Soviet forces attacked West Germany during the Cold War, West German units would have had tactical nuclear missiles made available to them, as most observers were of the opinion that NATO would have to have deployed those in order to blunt the Soviet advance until NATO reserves arrived in theatre.
 
I think it's obvious to all that Germany could *very* easily be a nuclear power if there was the political will and climate for it to happen. Germany is still after all one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world.
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Germany's non-participation in nuclear proliferation is a model for the rest of the world. It's was too late for America and Russia to have put the genie back in the bottle but the countries that have gained nukes since need not have done so and those who wish to have it now must be stopped. Germany's example of a highly technological nation not reaching for nuclear power is to be highly commended.

I suspect that, had Soviet forces attacked West Germany during the Cold War, West German units would have had tactical nuclear missiles made available to them, as most observers were of the opinion that NATO would have to have deployed those in order to blunt the Soviet advance until NATO reserves arrived in theatre.
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As someone who was there at the time and knows something about this, I can tell you that there were units assigned to this function.
 
Id also guess number 2. America and Russia have been campaigning to the world to abandon any research into nuclear weaponry. The two nations are even discouraging any nuclear research. Besides i highly doubt Germany has massive stockpiles of warheads and delivery devices in some hidden bunker.
 
South Africa developed the technology to make nuclear weapons, but gave they up under International Pressure. There are several other nations that developed and subsequently scrapped a nuclear weapons program.

Iran and North Korea are most certainly not the first nations to be sternly asked to discontinue their nuclear weapons programs.
 
In 1958 the Russians and the USA weren't agreeing on anything.

A photograph of an anti-nukes rally in Hamburg, 1958:

demo.jpg
 
the_13th_redneck said:
It was probably 1 and 2.
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Yeah that...though if I'm a bit anti American I'd have to say it was 60:40 in favour of the US pressure...
If anyone recalls lampyridae you'll know what I mean.
 
If you want to call it anti-American fine, but I wouldn't say so. We have always been more against nuclear proliferation than the Russians. If you think that's a bad thing then so be it.
 
Charge 7 said:
If you want to call it anti-American fine, but I wouldn't say so. We have always been more against nuclear proliferation than the Russians. If you think that's a bad thing then so be it.
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You get credit for the non-proliferation....and no I don't think it's a bad thing.
 
rOk said:
the_13th_redneck said:
It was probably 1 and 2.
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Yeah that...though if I'm a bit anti American I'd have to say it was 60:40 in favour of the US pressure...
If anyone recalls lampyridae you'll know what I mean.
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America doesn't have the ability or intentions of squelching advanced technological developments of so-called friendly Nations. Stealth and Radar are not considered technologies to be controlled nor can they possibly be. If Germany discontinues development of a black project, it means that it's not feasible or they found a better way. America no longer has the political strength to stop any country from weapons development. Besides, who says that Lampyridae was a nuclear delivery system?
 
Doppleganger said:
I'd imagine #2, though I haven't heard of any secret documents (not to say that there aren't).

I think it's obvious to all that Germany could *very* easily be a nuclear power if there was the political will and climate for it to happen. Germany is still after all one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world.

I suspect that, had Soviet forces attacked West Germany during the Cold War, West German units would have had tactical nuclear missiles made available to them, as most observers were of the opinion that NATO would have to have deployed those in order to blunt the Soviet advance until NATO reserves arrived in theatre.
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Doppleganger's hypothesis seems correct. German industry is (or was) first of all an "enriching" country with probably moderate uranium output. While centrifuges for weapons grade plutonium are more complex than for civilian purposes, it is relatively easy to speculate that the Germans are more than able to produce good or great military-industrial variants.

German industry also imports (now only waste) and uses (used) a significant enough quantity of uranium from which to theoretically develop a range of nuclear devices (at the very least a "dirty bomb"). Unlike Iran or Pakistan, the Germans also have direct ICBM capabilities. "Bomb plus rocket" is the far greater evil...something that is not stated often enough in the press.

The German government and people are, however, very adamant in supporting NPT and a significant group of citizens want to ban nuclear energy altogether. Considering the problems of nuclear waste or proliferation, this seems to be a very good idea.

My own hypothesis (no evidence): I think Germany produced its own tactical nukes under American supervision during the Cold War. I might accept the argument that the US gave Germany tactical nukes, however, the damn things are really expensive. The American military furthermore seemed loath to give anyone any of their nuclear secrets. For good reason. All of that testing during the 1950s-1980s ensured that American nukes were extremely effective...if effective is an appropriate word.

http://www.uic.com.au/nip33.htm

http://www.inesap.org/bulletin16/bul16art15.htm
 
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Well, I do know that under NATO. Allied strike fighters had the ability to carry and use nuclear weapons. Italy, Germany, Norway and such. The might not of had their own nuclear wepaons. But US, French, and UK forces would supply nuclear weapons to allied squadrons in case of all out war aganist the Warsaw Pact.

Did Germany develop their own nuclear weapons? I doubt it, the FGR's military was under complete control of NATO. And NATO was basicly run by American Military Command. The FGR didn't need to develop nuclear weapons because they knew that the USA would not pull out of Europe, especially Germany.


They could of but they more than likely didn't because of NATO Command, and the fact that the USA is NATO's main source of nuclear weapons.
 
Ollie Garchy said:
Unlike Iran or Pakistan, the Germans also have direct ICBM capabilities. "Bomb plus rocket" is the far greater evil...something that is not stated often enough in the press.
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What ICBMs does Germany have? Or did you mean German industry could easily build ICBMs if they wanted to, because Germany is heavily involved in space carrying vehicles like the Ariane series rockets. Doesn't Pakistan have space rockets too?
 
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