Franco–German Declaration
The Franco–German Declaration, also known as the Franco–German Non-Aggression Pact, was a treaty signed between France and Nazi Germany on 6 December 1938. The treaty was signed in Paris by Georges Bonnet, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, and Joachim von Ribbentrop, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nazi Germany.
Background
After Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933 and Germany's remilitarization of the Rhineland shifted the European balance of power, France sought to contain Nazi expansionism through improved economic and political relations. French Prime Minister Léon Blum prioritised achieving a comprehensive political agreement on European peace and disarmament before any economic settlement, while Reichsbank President Hjalmar Schacht pushed for immediate economic cooperation, particularly regarding German access to raw materials and colonies. When Camille Chautemps replaced Blum in June 1937, France reversed this approach, signing a new agreement in July 1937, hoping to support the position of moderate Nazi figures like Schacht against hardliners like Hermann Göring. This strategy collapsed due to Göring's Four-Year Plan for rearmament. Schacht lost power and was dismissed from the Economics Ministry in November 1937. Germany's increasingly aggressive actions, including the Anschluss with Austria, demonstrated that resuming economic relations could not restrain Nazi expansion. The Munich Agreement in September 1938 set the stage for the Franco–German Declaration, which represented France's shift from genuine rapprochement to appeasement of German dominance.
The treaty
The full text of the treaty: