In 1950, the invasion of South Korea by communists’troops from the North brought about the fear of a confrontation between the two blocs on the European soil. In order to resist the soviet threat, the United States asked their allies to prepare for the rearmament of West Germany. The Schuman plan and the creation of the ECSC inspired hope for quick integration in Europe, including the military and political sectors.

The EDC (European Defence Community) project planned to create a European army under a common authority, which should had included the future German units. The debate was intense between the partisans and the opponents of the federalist approach.
The French National Assembly rejected both the EDC and the EPC in 1954.