Background Flashcards
Europe after WWII
NOT FUCKING GOOD
Massive destruction, refugees, millions homeless, massive famine, transportation and economies decimated, millions dead, orphans, POWs
German Question
What do we do with Germany so this never happens again?
Schuman Plan to integrate coal and steel. Hard to go to war without both and forces cooperation.
Konrad Adenauer
First German Chancellor after WWII. Called for:
1. An end to occupation
2. Integration with West
3. Reunify
Charles De Gaulle
President of France 1959-1969. Very opposed one large supranational European entity idea. Wanted intergovernmental cooperation between sovereign states instead. Championed nation state and often tries to block integration.
Italy 1946 election
Communists vs Christian democrats. USA hated the idea of Communists taking control so they intervened politically. Christian democrats won
Marshall Plan
Shitloads of money sent from USA to Europe to rebuild.
European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)
An institution to integrate coal and steel industries of Benelux countries and Germany under one central authority. Composed of
1. High authority (Executive body)
2. Court of Justice (Judicial body)
3. Council of Ministers (Legislative body)
4. Common assembly (No power, advisory)
Jean Monnet
Proposed ECSC. “Father of Europe”. Advocate of functionalism.
Altiero Spinelli
Wrote “Ventotene Manifesto” a vision of Europe as one federal entity with one military to avoid backsliding and unify Europe.
Churchill’s speech in Zurich 1946
Called for a United States of Europe. NOT a federal state but a collection of sovereign states.
Congress of Europe 1948
Deliberate the future of Europe, agreed on unity in some form, wanted administrative bodies to keep people in line. Federalists vs Confederates
European Defense Community (EDC)
Idea to give Europe a common defense institution. Doesn’t Pass
European Political Community (EPC)
Shared Political institution that had shared monetary and foreign policy. Doesn’t Pass
Messina Conference 1955
Conference of the Six and Britain to establish a common market. Later Britain drops out
Rome Treaties 1957
Creates EEC and EAEC
European Economic Community (EEC)
An economic institution that lays foundation for a closer union and forms the European Common Market. Institution based in Brussels and structure similar to ECSC. Does introduce qualified majority voting(QMV) rather than unanimity.
Neofunctionalism
The idea that European integration will keep driving forward on its own. Spillover across economic sectors and into politics will create demand for more integration.
Fouchet Plan
Establish a union of states based on intergovernmental cooperation. Create a council of heads of state that would meet 3 times a year. Some opposed because France would be too powerful
Empty Chair Policy
In 1965 De Gaulle pulled French representatives from the Council of Ministers in the European commission for financing the common agriculture policy. This stopped
Luxembourg Compromise
In response to the empty chair crisis, in 1966 all states were given veto power over any resolution of the EC if their vital national interests were at stake. No longer QMV
UK joins EC 1973
UK was reluctant to join but did anyway because they didn’t want to be left behind.
Intergovernmentalism
Power concentrated in the member states not institutions. States control the speed and extent of integration.
Supranationalism
Power held by independent actors and institutions. Institutions control speed and extent of integration
Low vs High Politics
Low politics are possible to integrate: things like economy, vital national interests are not at stake
High politics are more difficult:
Things like military, vital national interests of a state are at stake
