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Joseph Luns
CH
Luns, J.M.A.H. - SFA008007314.jpg
Joseph Luns in 1979
5th Secretary General of NATO
In office
1 October 1971 – 25 June 1984
Preceded by Manlio Brosio
Succeeded by Peter Carrington
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
13 October 1956 – 6 July 1971
Prime Minister
See list
Willem Drees (1956–1958)
Louis Beel (1958–1959)
Jan de Quay (1959–1963)
Victor Marijnen (1963–1965)
Jo Cals (1965–1966)
Jelle Zijlstra (1966–1967)
Piet de Jong (1967–1971)
Preceded by Johan Beyen
Succeeded by Norbert Schmelzer
Member of the House of Representatives
In office
11 May 1971 – 1 October 1971
In office
23 February 1967 – 5 April 1967
In office
3 July 1956 – 3 October 1956
Parliamentary group Catholic People's Party
Minister for Foreign Policy
In office
2 September 1952 – 13 October 1956
Prime Minister Willem Drees
Preceded by Eelco van Kleffens (1947)
Succeeded by Office abolished
Personal details
Born
Joseph Antoine Marie Hubert Luns

(1911-08-28)28 August 1911
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Died 17 July 2002(2002-07-17) (aged 90)
Brussels, Belgium
Political party Catholic People's Party (1945–1972)
Other political
affiliations
Height 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in)
Spouse
Baroness Lia van Heemstra
​
​
(m. 1939; her death 1990)​
Relations
  • Theo Luns (brother)
  • Ella van Heemstra (niece in law)
  • Audrey Hepburn (first niece-in-law once removed)
Children 2
Parent
  • Huib Luns (1881–1942) (father)
Alma mater
Occupation
  • Politician
  • diplomat
  • civil servant
  • jurist
  • economist
  • historian
Signature
Military service
Branch/service Royal Netherlands Navy
Years of service
Rank Warrant officer
Unit Netherlands Coastguard
Battles/wars Cold War

Joseph Marie Antoine Hubert Luns (August 28, 1911 – July 17, 2002) was an important Dutch politician and diplomat. He was a member of the Catholic People's Party, which later joined to form the Christian Democratic Appeal party. Luns was also a lawyer.

He is best known for serving as the Secretary General of NATO from October 1, 1971, to June 25, 1984. Before that, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Netherlands for a very long time, from 1956 to 1971.

Who Was Joseph Luns?

Joseph Luns was born in Rotterdam, Netherlands. He came from a family that loved art and was interested in French culture. His father, Huib Luns, was a talented artist and teacher. He taught architectural drawing at Delft University of Technology.

Early Life and Education

Joseph Luns went to high school in Amsterdam and Brussels. He wanted to join the Royal Netherlands Navy as an officer. However, he applied too late. So, he decided to study law instead. He studied at the University of Amsterdam and Leiden University from 1932 to 1937. He earned degrees in law. Later, in 1938, he studied economics at the London School of Economics.

Becoming a Diplomat

Luns started working for the Dutch Diplomatic service in 1938. He was an attaché (a junior diplomat) in different cities.

  • From 1939 to 1942, he worked in Bern, Switzerland.
  • From 1942 to 1943, he was in Lisbon, Portugal.
  • From 1943 to 1949, he worked at the Dutch embassy in London, England.

In these roles, he helped Dutch refugees and gathered important information.

In 1949, Luns became a deputy representative for the Netherlands at the United Nations. He believed the UN was important for discussions between countries. However, he also thought it was sometimes used more for showing off than for solving problems.

Leading Dutch Foreign Policy

In 1952, Joseph Luns became the Minister for Foreign Policy in the Dutch government. He became the full Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1956. He held this job until 1971, serving under many different prime ministers. This made him the longest-serving Foreign Minister after World War II.

Key Challenges as Foreign Minister

  • Relations with Indonesia: Luns faced challenges with Indonesia over West New Guinea. The Netherlands did not want to give up control of this area. Eventually, after difficult talks, West New Guinea was transferred to Indonesia in 1963.
  • Relations with Germany: He worked to improve relations with West Germany after World War II. He insisted that Germany acknowledge the damage it caused. He helped reach an agreement on payments for Dutch war victims.
  • European Integration: Luns was a strong supporter of European cooperation. He signed the Treaties of Rome in 1957, which created the European Economic Community (EEC). He strongly opposed French President Charles de Gaulle's ideas that would have made Europe less connected to the United States. Luns believed that strong cooperation with the United States was vital for Europe's safety during the Cold War. He also pushed for the United Kingdom to join the EEC.

Luns became well-known internationally. He was seen as a skilled and trustworthy negotiator. He was known for combining strong arguments with humor and understanding.

NATO's Top Leader

In 1971, Luns was chosen to be the Secretary General of NATO. NATO is a military alliance of countries, mainly from North America and Europe. His job was to lead the alliance and help its members work together. He held this position for 13 years, making him the longest-serving NATO Secretary General.

Guiding NATO Through the Cold War

Luns believed that NATO members should talk with the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact about reducing weapons. But he also insisted that Western defenses must stay strong. He helped manage tensions between the United States and European NATO members. He made sure that all members felt heard and supported.

One of his big challenges was the "Double-Track Decision" in 1979. This decision linked the deployment of new nuclear weapons in Europe to talks with the Soviet Union about reducing arms. Luns successfully kept NATO united during this difficult time.

Mediating Conflicts

The Secretary General also helps solve disagreements between NATO members. Luns helped resolve a conflict between Great Britain and Iceland, known as the "Second Cod War." However, he was not able to solve the conflict between Greece and Turkey over territory and Cyprus.

Later Years

Joseph Luns retired from his role at NATO in 1984. He had spent 31 years in national and international politics. He decided to stay in Brussels, Belgium, where he had worked for NATO. He continued to share his thoughts on political matters until he had a stroke in 1996. He passed away six years later, at the age of 90.

Honors and Awards

Joseph Luns received many important awards during his life.

Personal Life

Luns was married to Baroness Lia van Heemstra. They had two children, a son and a daughter. Lia was also the niece of Baroness Ella van Heemstra, who was the mother of famous actress Audrey Hepburn.

He was a lifelong practicing Catholic. He enjoyed collecting stamps and reading. His favorite books included classical literature, history books (especially about the Napoleonic era), and detective novels. He also loved learning about international navies.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar Honour Country Date Comment
436px ribbon bar of the Order of the Rose (Brazil).svg Grand Cross of the Order of the Rose Brazil 10 January 1953
St Olavs Orden storkors stripe.svg Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav Norway 25 April 1953
Cordone di gran Croce OMRI BAR.svg Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit Italy 15 September 1953
Grand Crest Ordre de Leopold.png Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold Belgium 10 January 1954
GRE Order of George I - Grand Cross BAR.png Grand Cross of the Order of George I Greece 14 February 1954
ETH Order of Menelik II - Grand Cross BAR.png Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Menelik II Ethiopia 1 July 1954
Legion Honneur GC ribbon.svg Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour France 12 August 1954
Ordre de la couronne de Chene GC ribbon.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the Oak Crown Luxembourg 30 May 1955
Order of the White Elephant - 1st Class (Thailand) ribbon.svg Grand Cross of the Order of the White Elephant Thailand 5 September 1955
SWE Order of the Polar Star (after 1975) - Commander Grand Cross BAR.png Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star Sweden 30 September 1955
GER Bundesverdienstkreuz 7 Grosskreuz.svg Grand Cross of the Order of Merit Germany 10 December 1956
NLD Order of Orange-Nassau - Knight Grand Cross BAR.png Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Orange-Nassau Netherlands 5 December 1966 Elevated from Grand Officer (29 April 1959)
Order of the Companions of Honour Ribbon.gif Honorary Companion of the
Order of the Companions of Honour		 United Kingdom 14 June 1971
NLD Order of the Dutch Lion - Grand Cross BAR.png Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Netherlands 17 July 1971 Elevated from Commander (18 October 1956)
Presidential Medal of Freedom (ribbon).svg Presidential Medal of Freedom United States 10 June 1984

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Joseph Luns para niños

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