European Integration

The Historical Evolution

European integration – bachelor – Olivier Demain, PhD in Sc Po

Summary

I. The Post-War transformation of Western Europe II.The creation of The European Community

introduction

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The european integration process was initiated and developed in Western Europe. Extension to Central and Eastern Europe after the collapse of communism An understanding and analysis of the European integration process must therefore begin by focusing on Western Europe

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I. The Post-War transformation of Western Europe

The Post-War transformation of Western Europe

A/ Historical divisions

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The History of Europe has been characterised much more by tensions and conflicts than it has by any common purpose or harmony of spirit

Elements of divisions

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Language Religion : Protestant (Northern countries except Irland)) # Catholic (southern countries except Orthodox Greece)

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« Us » and « them »

Contrasting cultural traditions and historical experiences have further served to develop distinct identifications across the map of Europe

overview

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Political divisions took the form of varying systems of government and compteing ideological orientations. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries autocraties existed alongside emerging, and more liberal, parlementary democracy. Between the two world wars parliamentary democracy found itself under attack . By the late 1930's very different political regimes were in place in the major Western european states

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The political systems of western Europe's major states in the late 1930s

France : weak parliamentary system (the Third republic) Germany ; Nazi dictatorship (under Adoph Hitler, from 1933) Italy : Fascist dictatorship (under Benito Mussolini, from 1922) Spain : Conservative military dictatorship (under General Franco, from 1937) United Kingdom : Strong parliamentary system

B / The post-war transformation

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After the Second World War the...