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While it is true that the idea of a common European defense has been developing since the early 1950s, it was not until the end of the 1980s—with the signing of the Single European Act and the momentous changes in Europe after the fall of the Iron Curtain—that there was a genuine political will to create a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). The experience of the wars in the Balkans and, in particular, the course
of events surrounding NATO’s intervention in Kosovo unmistakably demonstrated the necessity of an autonomous defense capability to Europeans. During the military operations in Kosovo—carried out by NATO but under exclusive leadership of the United States—the lack of influence and operational capabilities on the European side was drastically revealed. Moreover, in a precedent-setting breach of international law, NATO operations were carried out without a United Nations mandate. Picking up on the impetus given by these events, the EU Member States began to take significant steps toward creating a credible European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP).
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