Part 2/9:
The notion of a European Army isn't new; it first gained serious traction in 1952 when the U.S. urged West Germany to arm itself to join NATO. This suggestion was met with resistance, especially from France, which proposed the creation of the European Defense Community to form a collective military under a supernational command including countries like Belgium, Italy, and the Netherlands. However, France's subsequent refusal to ratify the Treaty of Paris in 1954 meant that West Germany ended up joining NATO instead.
Efforts continued into the 1960s under French President Charles de Gaulle, who sought to establish a security alliance through the European Economic Community, but these were largely stalled when other member states opted to remain aligned with NATO.