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Beyond Europe's Present Crisis
by Keith W. Stump
lts very existence at stake, the crisis-ridden European Community seeks
a strong political solution to otherwise unresolvable problems.
O
N E QuEs T 1o N
f re- deep-seated jealousies and hatreds in September
1946,
issued a dramatic
quently asked by new of the past, the constant rivalry and call for the creation of a "United
readers is, "What is repeated wars?
S tates of Europe." Many caught a
European statesmen suggested glimpse of his vision of a federated
this European Community or that if Europe's individual national- Europe as a means of developing a
Common Market you so isms could be sub-
senseofcommon identity.
often write about, a nd why is
As a first step toward European
it so important?"
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integration, a plan was
devised to pool the iron,
For more than a
coal and steel resources of
quarter century-
France and West Germa-
si nce the Com-
ny under a single high
mon Market be-
authority. If the economic
gan operations in
destinies of Europe's two
1958-The Plain
arch-rivals could be bound
Truth
has regularly
tightly together, propo-
focused the attention of
nents reasoned, another
its readers on this
intra-European war sim-
dynamic association of
ply could not occur. The
project wru. extended to
West European nations,
include ltaly, Belgium, the
now the world's largest
Netherlands and Luxem-
trading bloc.
bourg.
With the dramatic in-
This economic venture
crease in our ci rculation,
called the European
it is time, once again, to
Coal and Steel Coro-
do so. Here is the
real
munity (ECSC). The
meaning
behind current
Community began
efforts to unify Europe!
operations in July of
1952.
Tbis was the
Advantages of Cooperation
first large-scale Euro-
Thirty-nine years ago, the
merged within
pean organization to be
continent of Europe lay in ruins, the context of Euro-
given supranational au-
devastated by world war. Europeans pean
supranational-
thority by its members.
had been their own worst enemies.
ism-if European
interests could
The immediate success of this
As recovery slowly got under way, be placed above national alle- pilot project quickly showed Euro–
the war-ravaged nations of Europe giances-future conflagrations peans the advantages of cooperation.
began searching for a means of might be averted.
They began to comprehend just how
avoiding such catastrophes in the
In this vein, Sir Winston Chur- powerful they might become, if they
future. How might they override the chill, in a celebrated speech at Zurich combined their resources. Here was
September 1984
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