Paul Henri Spaak (1899-1972)
A
European statesman - the long political career of the Belgian Paul Henri Spaak
can succinctly be described as thus.
Lying about his age, he was accepted into the Belgian Army during World War
One, and consequently spent two years as a German prisoner of war. In the
Second World War, now as foreign minister, he attempted in vain to preserve
Belgium's neutrality. Together with the government he went into exile, first
to Paris, and later to London.
After the liberation of Belgium, Spaak joined the government, and served
both as Foreign Minister and as Prime Minister. Even during World War Two
he had formulated plans for a merger of the Benelux countries, and directly
after the war he campaigned for the unification of Europe, supporting the
European Coal and Steel Community and a European defence community.
For Spaak, uniting countries through binding Treaty obligations were the
most effective means of guaranteeing peace and stability. He was able to help
achieve these aims as president of the first full meeting of the United Nations
(1946) and as General Secretary of NATO (1957-61).
Spaak was a leading figure in formulating the content of the Treaty of Rome.
At the so-called "Messina Conference" in 1955 the six participating
governments appointed him as president of the working committee that prepared
the Treaty.
