FREE ESSAY ON START OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

START OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

European Integration into a common market
Europe today is tied together within a common market which enables it to work
simultaneously on issues that arise upon its borders. This has not always the case. The
phenomenon of a joint union is a recent thing brought on in the post war 1950's and is
one of the greatest historical undertakings of the 20th century. The horrible economic
instability and political divisions after the second World War were the main turn points
for Wetern European counties to come together and work as a whole.
Western Europe, divided by different language, culture, and religion , experienced long
periods of tension, war and hostility due to these differences(Nugent,4). The first world
war swept across Europe dividing Britain , France ,Russia and Italy against Germany ,
Austria-Hungary. This put horrible stress upon the European states and pulled the
economies of these nations down to a low point . It was around this time that people were
starting to feel a need of unification for Europe. In the 1930's The Briande plan, by
Aristide Briande , came out in which he talked about how the peoples of Europe, if the y
are to enjoy security and prosperity , must come together to establish "a permenant
regime of joint resposibilty for the rational organization of Europe(Leiden Univ)." We
see throughout the forties many individuals and groups stat responding to this sense of
unity. In 1942, Italian secretary for the sociolist party of Italy declares unity, 1943
the European Federalist movement is formed, and in March 1944 a secret meeting in Geneva
in which people from countries such as France Holland, Italy , Norway, Poland,
Chechoslovakia and even memebers of the underground German Movement attend to speak on
resistence to Nazi opression(THE WAY TO UNITY). This is seen as a first time in which
European communities unite in a common struggle. In 1946 close to the end of the second
World War Churchill spoke out at the University in Zurich where he announced "We must
build a kind of United States of Europe". "If Europe is to be saved from infinite misery
, and indeed from final doom, there must be this act of faith in the European
family(Churchill,1946)." 
Six countries originally rallied for this concept of a united Europe. The formation of
these countries started coming together in the Treaty of Brussels 1948, where Netherlands
Belgium , Luxembourg, and Britain signed a pact for collaboration in Economic, social and
cultural affaires. It was around this time that the second World War was ending and its
total collapse threatened the equilibrium of the world(Braudel,Unity in Europe). With the
Marshall plan devised, important Statesmen, more than 800 members of parliament, trade
union leaders , intellectuals and economist met at the Hague in May 1948,resulting in a
congress of Europe. The task of this body goes on to establish a European assembly which
advises measures that would bring political integration of Europe(THE WAY TO UNITY). With
much success a year later January 1949 France Great Britain and Benelux countries decide
to create a council of Europe and ask Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Norway and Switzerland to
help(E.U WEBSITE). Europe had finally come a long way in terms of peaceful integration
but a key factor was still holding this unification back and that was the bad
relationship between France a Germany. Jean Monnet came forward and suggested to French
prime minister, Robert Schuman and German chancellor, Konrad Adenauer, that a community
of interest should be taken underway between the two countries. This was to become known
as the European Coal and Steel Community and was welcomed by other countries as well.
This treaty established the first European Community and opened the door to many more
achievements between European countries.
With the outbreak of Economic instability and tension arising throughout Europe during
WW1 and WW2 , many figures came forth with proposals too heal the wounds that Europe has
endured for hundreds of years. It was now time for this nation to come together and work
with eachother in equilibrium so that devastating events could be prevented in the
future. They wanted Economic advancement and peaceful trade between each other so that
they could make Europe one body and fill it with harmonization.
Bibliography
1)Braudel , Fernand. Unity in Europe, Penguin Books, London
2) "The Briand Memorandum". Leiden University, Historical Institute.
www.let.leidenuniv.nl/history/rtg/res1/briand.htm
3)European Union 
website:http://europa.eu.int/
4)Extract from Pan Drakopoulos, the Biography of Europe).The way to Unity, A timetable.
www.proeuropa.gr/euroreader/drakopoulos_biography.html
5)Nugent, Neil.The government and polotics of the European Union.4th edn(Macmillan 1999)
6)Rougement de Denis, translated by Alan Braley. "Europe Unites, A lecture on the History
of the ideal for a United Europe". from:the meaning of Europe:Sidgwick &Jackson, London
1965.
7)Seven key days in the making of Europe.
website: http://europa.eu.int/abc/obj/chrono/40years/7days/en.htm