"The ORIGINS of European Integration" | EU History Explained Episode 1

Summary

This episode of 'EU History Explained' delves into the origins of the European Union, tracing the concept of a united Europe from the 17th century to the aftermath of World War II. It highlights the 'Ventotene manifesto' and the pivotal role of the Cold War in transforming integration from theory to political action. The episode outlines the initial steps towards European integration, including the Marshall Plan, the Council of Europe, and the significant Schuman Plan, which led to the formation of the European Coal and Steel Community. It sets the stage for further exploration of Europe's journey towards unity.

Takeaways

• 🌟 The European Union's history is explored to understand its current political landscape, with roots in ideas dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
• 🏛️ Post-WWI, proposals for a united Europe like the Paneuropean Movement and Winston Churchill's 'United States of Europe' were conceptualized but not realized.
• 📜 The 'Ventotene manifesto' of 1941 by Altiero Spinelli, Ernesto Rossi, and Eugenio Colorni advocated a federal Europe to ensure peace, influenced by the devastation of WWII.
• ⚖️ Federalists believed that the nation-state was the cause of war and that its elimination could prevent future conflicts.
• 🌐 The Cold War context and key political figures' intuitions were pivotal in transforming integrationist ideas into political reality.
• 🇪🇺 Post-WWII Europe was divided, with Eastern Europe under Soviet influence and Western Europe consisting of both war winners and losers, each with distinct integration interests.
• 💼 The United States, through the Marshall Plan, pushed for European integration to counter Soviet expansion, marking the beginning of economic cooperation.
• 🏛️ The 1948 Hague Congress discussed various visions for European integration but resulted in the creation of the marginally influential Council of Europe.
• 🤝 Military cooperation began as a show of unity to retain US security guarantees, evolving into attempts at a European defense entity.
• 🇫🇷 The Schuman Plan in 1950, proposing the pooling of French and German coal and steel resources, marked a foundational step towards European unity.
• 📜 The European Coal and Steel Community, established by the Treaty of Paris in 1951, was a political success in resolving Franco-German tensions and reducing war potential.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the 'EU History Explained' series?

The main focus of the 'EU History Explained' series is to make sense of the European Union's current state by exploring its historical development.

What is the historical origin of the idea of a united Europe?

The modern idea of a united Europe has its origins in the philosophical thoughts of the 17th and 18th centuries, with more concrete proposals emerging after World War I, such as the Paneuropean Movement and Winston Churchill's call for a 'United States of Europe'.

What significant event during World War II influenced the push for a united Europe?

The shock of the Second World War significantly influenced the push for a united Europe, with thinkers like those who penned the 'Ventotene manifesto' in 1941 advocating for a federal Europe to ensure peace.

What was the key idea of the federalists regarding the cause of wars?

The key idea of the federalists was that the existence of the nation state was the cause of wars, and thus, the elimination of the nation state was seen as a means to prevent future wars.

How did the post-war international context, particularly the Cold War, influence European integration?

The post-war international context, marked by the Cold War between the East and the West, was crucial in turning integrationist ideas into a political reality, as it created a sense of urgency for European countries to unite.

What were the three parallel tracks of European integration after World War II?

The three parallel tracks of European integration were economic cooperation, political cooperation, and military cooperation, each with varying degrees of success.

How did the United States influence the first attempts at European integration?

The United States, through the Marshall Plan, strongly pushed for European integration, aiming to create a prosperous and stable Europe as a bulwark against Soviet expansion.

What was the outcome of the Hague Congress in 1948 regarding European integration?

The Hague Congress resulted in various visions of European integration being discussed but failed to achieve concrete results, leading only to the creation of the Council of Europe in 1949.

What was the significance of Robert Schuman's proposal on May 9, 1950?

Robert Schuman's proposal to pool coal and steel resources of France and Germany was significant as it was considered the founding step towards a united Europe, and May 9th is now celebrated as 'Europe Day'.

What was the European Coal and Steel Community and why was it established?

The European Coal and Steel Community was established by the Treaty of Paris in 1951 to manage coal and steel resources collectively, aiming to create a 'de facto solidarity' among European peoples and pave the way for a united Europe.

Why did the United Kingdom decide to remain outside of the European Coal and Steel Community?

The United Kingdom chose to remain outside of the European Coal and Steel Community as it favored its relationship with the Commonwealth and did not see itself as part of these integration projects.

Outlines

00:00

🌟 Introduction to the European Union's History

The video introduces a series on the history of the European Union (EU), aiming to understand its formation. It discusses the historical origins of a united Europe, dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, and more recent proposals post-WWI. The impact of WWII is highlighted, particularly the 'Ventotene manifesto' of 1941, which advocated a federal Europe for peace. The video sets the stage for exploring the political and international context that led to the EU's creation, including the division of Europe, the varying interests of Western and Eastern European countries, and the influence of the Cold War.

05:05

📈 Economic Cooperation and the Marshall Plan

This paragraph delves into the economic cooperation aspect of European integration, starting with the Marshall Plan launched by the United States in 1947 to aid post-war Europe. The plan's condition required European nations to manage the funds collectively, leading to the creation of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation. Despite being a step towards economic unity, it did not fully meet the integrationist goals. The paragraph also touches on the political integration efforts, including the 1948 Hague Congress, which presented various visions for European unity but resulted in the establishment of the marginally impactful Council of Europe.

10:09

🛠️ The European Coal and Steel Community

The final paragraph focuses on the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) as a significant milestone in European integration. Initiated by French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman and supported by Jean Monnet, the ECSC aimed to pool coal and steel resources of France and Germany, reducing the likelihood of war. The ECSC was a political success, resolving Franco-German tensions and setting a precedent for supranational governance. The paragraph outlines the ECSC's institutions, including the High Authority, Council of Ministers, and Court of Justice, and notes the UK's decision to remain outside the initiative. The video concludes by setting the stage for the next episode, which will explore further developments in European integration.

Keywords

💡European Union

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states located primarily in Europe. In the video, the EU is the central subject, as the series aims to explain its historical development and the reasons behind its creation. The EU's formation is seen as a response to the devastation of World War II and as a means to ensure peace and cooperation among European nations.

💡Federalism

Federalism refers to a system of government in which power is divided between a central authority and constituent political units. In the context of the video, federalism is one of the visions for a united Europe, where the idea is to merge nation-states into a more centralized 'United States of Europe'. This concept is mentioned in relation to the 'Ventotene manifesto' and the debate on how to structure a unified Europe.

💡Cold War

The Cold War was a period of geopolitical tension between the Soviet Union and the United States and their respective allies, the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc, after World War II. The video discusses how the Cold War's onset in 1947 made European integration a practical political and economic necessity, as opposed to a utopian vision, driven by the need to counter the Soviet threat.

💡European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

The European Coal and Steel Community was established in 1951 and was one of the first attempts at economic integration among European countries. The video highlights the ECSC as a significant step towards European unity, particularly because it involved pooling coal and steel resources, which were crucial for waging war, thus making conflict less likely.

💡Supranational

Supranational refers to an authority or governance that operates above and beyond the level of individual nation-states. In the video, the term is used to describe the High Authority within the ECSC, which had the power to enforce its decisions over member states, indicating a partial ceding of sovereignty to a common institution.

💡Intergovernmentalism

Intergovernmentalism is a political approach where cooperation occurs between nation-states, with each state retaining its sovereignty. The video contrasts this with federalism, discussing it as a vision for European integration that sees cooperation as a way to strengthen the nation-state rather than merging them into a larger entity.

💡Neofunctionalism

Neofunctionalism is a theory that suggests integration in one sector, such as economics, can lead to spill-over effects and integration in other sectors. The video mentions this as a vision for European integration, where political figures like Robert Schuman and practitioners like Jean Monnet believed in building Europe through concrete achievements rather than a single, grand design.

💡Marshall Plan

The Marshall Plan was an American initiative to aid Western Europe, in which the United States gave over $12 billion (approximately $100 billion in current dollar value) in economic support to help rebuild Western European economies after the end of World War II. The video describes it as a catalyst for economic cooperation among European countries, with the condition that they manage the funds jointly.

💡Council of Europe

The Council of Europe is an international organization whose stated aim is to uphold human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in Europe. The video notes its creation in 1949 as a result of the Hague Congress, but it played a minor role in the future developments of European integration compared to other institutions and initiatives.

💡Hague Congress

The Hague Congress was a gathering in 1948 of various European unification movements. The video discusses how this event was significant for the debate on European integration, as it brought together different visions for a united Europe, but it failed to produce concrete results beyond the establishment of the Council of Europe.

💡Robert Schuman

Robert Schuman was a French statesman who proposed the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community. In the video, Schuman's proposal is highlighted as a foundational moment in the move towards European integration, reflecting the neofunctionalist approach of achieving unity through practical, sector-specific cooperation.

Highlights

The European Union's history is explored to understand its current political landscape.

Early ideas for a united Europe date back to the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Paneuropean Movement and proposals for a European federation were discussed after WWI.

Winston Churchill called for a 'United States of Europe'.

The Ventotene manifesto of 1941 outlined a vision for a federal Europe to ensure peace.

Federalists believed the nation state was the cause of war and its elimination could prevent future conflicts.

Post-WWII, Europe was divided with Eastern Europe under Soviet influence and Western Europe with mixed outcomes.

Germany, after WWII, was open to European integration to regain sovereignty.

Italy sought to regain international legitimacy and anchor itself to the Western camp.

France aimed to regain prestige while curbing any resurgence of Germany.

The Benelux countries pursued economic reconstruction and a say in the post-war order.

The UK encouraged European integration while maintaining its 'special relationship' with the US.

The Cold War in 1947 turned European integration from a utopian vision into a political and economic project.

US-led Marshall Plan aimed to make Europe a prosperous bulwark against Soviet expansion.

The Hague Congress in 1948 discussed various visions for European integration but failed to achieve concrete results.

The European Coal and Steel Community was established in 1951, marking a significant step in European integration.

The UK chose not to join the European Coal and Steel Community, favoring ties with the Commonwealth.

The European Coal and Steel Community's High Authority was a supranational body that enforced decisions over member states.

The European Coal and Steel Community was a political success, resolving Franco-German rivalry and making war nearly impossible.

Transcripts

Hello and welcome to EU History Explained. In this new series we will try to make sense

of today’s European Union by looking at its history. We are nowadays very much used

to hearing about politics being shaped in ‘Brussels’, but have you ever wondered

how the European Union came to be? That is what we will look at in this first episode.

The modern idea of a united Europe goes back a very long time: from the philosophers of

the 17th and 18th centuries to more recent theorisations after the end of the First World

War. Already then, a number of ideas were launched, such as the Paneuropean Movement

of Count Coudenhove-Kalergi, or a proposal for a European federation by French Foreign

Minister Aristide Briand, or Winston Churchill’s call for the creation of ‘United States

of Europe’, but none of these ideas resulted in concrete political projects. The debate

on a united Europe received a very strong push by the shock caused by the Second World

War. A major contribution to this debate was given by three Italian thinkers confined by

the fascist regime on the island of Ventotene. In their ‘Ventotene manifesto’ of 1941,

Altiero Spinelli, Ernesto Rossi and Eugenio Colorni outline their vision of a federal

Europe as a means to ensure peace. The key idea of the federalists, as they were called,

is that the existence of the nation state has been the very cause of the war, and for this

reason, they see the elimination of the nation state as a means to prevent future wars. Two

factors will be crucial in  turning these integrationist 

ideas into a political  reality: on the one hand, the

intuition of some key political figures and practitioners; and on the other hand, the

post-war international context, that was marked by the Cold War between the East and the West.

So let’s look at what was the context in Europe after the end of the Second World

War. The European continent is divided. Eastern Europe is under the sphere of influence of

the Soviet Union. Western Europe has both winners and losers of the war. As a result

of losing the war, Germany suffers very strong limitations to its national sovereignty, which

makes the country somewhat naturally favourable to ideas of European integration that could

allow the country to regain part of their 

sovereignty and to re-connect  with the neighbouring

nations. Italy, another loser of the war, is trying to regain its place and legitimacy

on the international scene, and the government, that faces internally a very strong communist

party, is eager to anchor the country to the Western camp. France, for its part, is on

the one hand trying to regain its prestige after the defeat of 1940, but is

also wary of any regain of sovereignty, military autonomy and economic strength by

Germany, and will seek creative ways to curb this. The Benelux countries – Belgium, the

Netherlands, and Luxembourg – are trying to seek economic reconstruction, but also strive

to have a say in the design of the post-war international order. Finally, the United Kingdom

is cultivating its ‘special relationship’ with the United States, is looking to the

Commonwealth, but at the same time is also trying to encourage ideas of European integration

without really seeing itself as part of these projects. Against this backdrop, only with

the start of the Cold War in 1947 will European integration cease to be a utopian vision and

become a concrete political and economic project. 

The inception of European integration is marked

by a number of separate projects running on three parallel but connected tracks: economic

cooperation, political cooperation, and military cooperation, that will have different degrees

of success. The first concrete attempts at integration among European countries are strongly

pushed by the United States, that has a keen interest in an integrated, prosperous and

stable Europe to counter the Soviet threat. The first project follows the launch by the

United States in 1947 of the Marshall Plan, a massive recovery plan for Europe that should

in the eyes of the Americans make Europe a solid and prosperous bastion against Soviet

expansion. When the United States decides to pledge these funds to their European allies,

they do so on the condition that the Europeans 

will manage these funds jointly  through an ‘Organisation

for European Economic Co-operation’. However, while representing an important precedent

for economic cooperation among European countries, this organisation will fall short of the American

expectations of really  integrating European economies. 

In these same years, a political integration

path is also developing. In 1948, the city of The Hague in the Netherlands hosts a congress

of all the movements for European unification. In the Hague Congress, different visions of

European integration are confronted: a federalist vision, that calls for overcoming the nation

states and merging them into the United States of Europe; an intergovernmentalist vision,

that envisages a European confederation of sovereign nation states and actually sees

this cooperation as a way to strengthen the nation state; and finally, a neofunctionalist

vision, that calls for integrating individual concrete sectors in hopes of achieving spill-over

effects that will gradually lead to integration as a whole. This latter vision will try, and

will later succeed, to offer a solution to the deadlock caused by the incompatibilities

between the federalist and intergovernmentalist visions. Key representatives of this vision

are political figures such as Robert Schuman, and practitioners like Jean Monnet, who believe

that ‘Europe will not be made all at once’, but rather ‘through concrete achievements’.

This richness and diversity of views will be one of the reasons why the Hague Congress fails

to achieve concrete results, and its only achievement will be the not very ambitious

creation in 1949 of the Council of Europe, that will only play a marginal role in the

future developments of European integration. A third pillar of these early years of European

integration is also military cooperation. At the beginning, this is not much more than

just a military alliance among a number of European countries, that is mainly aimed at

convincing the Americans to keep guaranteeing European security by showing them that Europeans

are able to cooperate with each other. But in the next decade, things will evolve into

something completely different, leading to a failed attempt to create a fully-fledged

European defence. But we will look at this in the next episode. First, let’s look at

how the first track of European integration, 

economic cooperation, will  evolve in the next years.

We said earlier that France is worried about Germany regaining too much power too fast.

At the same time, it is eager to foster its own economic and industrial recovery,

and for this, German coal resources are very important. We should also not forget

that the management of coal resources had been one of the key elements of tension between

France and Germany in the past years. A solution that seems to solve both issues is put forward

by French civil servant Jean Monnet and picked up by the Foreign Minister Robert Schuman.

In his speech on 9th of May 1950, Robert Schuman proposes to pool together the coal and steel

resources of France and Germany. This is 

considered to be the very  founding step of a united

Europe, and still today the 9th of May is celebrated every year throughout Europe as

‘Europe Day’. Schuman’s plan is the incarnation of the neofuctionalist vision

that ‘concrete achievements’ will create a ‘de facto solidarity’ among European

peoples and will pave the way for a united Europe. Germany receives this proposal quite

favourably as, even if only partial, it still means a regain of sovereignty over its resources.

We should not forget that Germany had actually lost control over these resources. Soon, more

countries join in – Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and Italy – and the Treaty

of Paris is eventually  signed in 1951, establishing 

the European Coal and Steel Community. In

this phase, the United Kingdom tends to favour its relationship with the Commonwealth and

decides to remain outside of this initiative. The European Coal and Steel Community is based

on a number of institutions. Most importantly, the High Authority, the most powerful institution.

It is an independent, supranational executive whose task is to ensure the smooth functioning

of the common market of coal and steel. The most important feature and key innovation

of this institution is its  supranational character, 

but what does that mean? It means that Member

States agreed to cede part of their sovereignty to a common institution that has the power

to enforce its decisions. Other institutions 

are the Council of Ministers,  that is an intergovernmental

counterpart to the High Authority, and a Common 

Assembly where delegates  of the national Parliaments

sit. There is also a Court of Justice, that is tasked with ensuring the correct application

of the Treaty, and finally, a Consultative Committee of social partners that is an ancestor

to today’s European Economic and Social Committee. Born as an economic project, the

European Coal and Steel Community is a huge political success, as it seems to have solved

decades of Franco-German  rivalry, and by curtailing 

national sovereignty on resources that are

key to make war, it has made war virtually impossible. But many questions still remain

open, in particular the fate of the other two integration tracks. In the next episode,

we will continue our journey through European integration and we will look at how these

tracks of cooperation developed further, and which one was eventually successful.

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