For a significant portion of our history, Europe has seen constant battles and bloodshed, often due to leaders or military forces with desire of holding sovereignty over other countries – such as the Norman Conquest lead by William the Conqueror, desire to distinguish their country as an independent state – such as the Irish War of Independence lead by the IRA, or even for political reasons - such as the holocaust lead by renowned political extremist and dictator Adolf Hitler. Although these events, along with a multitude of other wars – civil, guerilla or full-frontal attacks on other countries - were undoubtedly devastating to Europe due to the large loss of lives and the impact on the economy, they seem to rate very low in terms of continental destruction today upon reflection of the two wars that were severely damaging to Europe – World War I and World War II. The aftermath of World War I saw the most social disruption and economic damage in Europe’s history at the time. The absence of men who had been killed meant housewives struggled as their husbands were no longer available to play their role as ‘breadwinner’ which was worsened by the fact that taxes were raised by the government, who had also established new departments in efforts to rebuild their war-torn states. Millions of civilians were displaced as new borders appeared with four domains disappearing from our maps. These are just a few of the consequences suffered throughout Europe until treaties such as the Treaty of Versailles officially brought the war to an end in 1919, many clauses of which pertained to the formation of ‘The League of Nations’ – the primary attempt to stop war breaking out between European countries, an action deemed necessary so that coun... ... middle of paper ... ...s purpose would also hold the belief that there is no longer a purpose for democracy, peace, charity, common good and free movement of labour, capital and people. This view can only be attributed to cynicism which may be due to negative events, for example Britain's recession, for which many were falsely led to believe the EU culpable. Works Cited McCormick, John, 1954 Understanding the EU : a concise introduction / John McCormick. Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan, 2008. Web references: ‘Treaty of Maastricht on EU’, europa. eu, 2007 http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/economic_and_monetary_affairs/institutional_and_economic_framework/treaties_maastricht_en.htm ‘League of Nations’, History Learning Site, 2000 http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/leagueofnations.htm ‘Policy Areas of The EU’, europa. eu, 2007 http://europa.eu/pol/index_en.htm
This was definitely a tough predicament for Europe to be in. In the aftermath of World War I, literally tens of millions were mortally wounded and missing, there were devastating effects on morale and view towards war, which would make most any weakened society ...
”Examine the extent to which the benefits of UK membership in the European Union outweigh the costs”
So when asking the question what the causes of World War One are its important to remember that the rivalries between European states were intensified by the imperialism of the 19th century. Which lead to tension which became fear of invasion that in turn resulted in an intricate system of alliances “ensured what might have been an isolated crisis in the Balkans became a general war”. Whilst the effects of imperialism may not be the single cause of the war, it was undoubtedly a contributing
“As a result of the world war and of a peace whose imperfections and risks are no longer denied by anyone, are we not even further away from the great aspirations and hopes for peace and fraternity than we were decades ago?” (Hjalmar Branting). After the industrial revolution, countries were in a rush to prove themselves. Each country built up its militaries in hopes of creating peace, but all their effort crashed to ruins when the heir to the Austrian-hungarian throne was assassinated. War broke out over the assassination of this man, and due to the complex web of alliances they had weaved, no country could escape it. The powers of Europe set their own trap, and it had been activated. Looking back on history, there were three main determining factors that caused World War I; one outshone the
...ifferent story of the EU that has not been focused on in other books or papers. This original, unbiased approach allows the reader to put the EU in a historical perspective that also helps understanding at least the changing forces. In addition, it seems that the author wants to make the public or his audience comfortable with the idea of uncertainty that has been affecting the EU. His second part shows how the current shape was not only the result of political or economic reasons, but also a response of a changing external environment. Moreover, the idea of purgatory as well as the philosophical references and analogies gives the book an exciting, unique demission that links politics, history, and philosophy. However, it would be interesting if the author has included technical analysis and incorporated political science theories to draw policy recommendations.
It is well known that after World War II, states began to move away from the trends of nationalism that had brought on conflict in the first place. Across large parts of Europe, there is instead great support for federalism and get support for integration and interdependence. In 1952, the European Coal and Steel Community was created, followed by the establishment of European Economic Community in 1957. With allies being made and different treaties and agreements being signed, Europe was definitely becoming a ‘federation’. In 1973, Britain joins the EEC along with Denmark and Ireland. The European Union is then formally established by the Maastricht in 1993 and gains its 28th member, Croatia by July 2013. When a referendum was taken in the UK regarding joining the EU the vote was two-to-one in favour. The benefits of joining of the EU were clear. The UK would benefit not only in an economic sense but also politically and socially. However, in recent times, opinions have changed. There is now debate as to whether the UK should remain n member of the EU. More and more people are speaking in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the EU and standing on its own. While there are persuasive arguments for and against, it could still be argued that the argument against...
"World War I." Europe Since 1914: Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction. Ed. John Merriman and Jay Winter. Vol. 5. Detroit: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2006. 2751-2766. World History in Context. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.
Thomassen, J. 2009. The Legitimacy of the European Union after Enlargement. In: Thomassen, J. Eds. The Legitimacy of the European Union after Enlargement. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 67-86.
The progress represented by the EU is progress that deserves to be shared with the people of all European nations, yet on what scale? While today’s EU leaders are more than ready to invite fellow nations to join the EU, they fail to take proper account of the future, of how this could possibly cheapen the European identity and the work that was only spurred on by two destructive World Wars.
The First World War (WWI) was a global war started in Europe from 1914 until 1918 that killed over 9 million soldiers as according to Van Tol, Ottery & Keith (2012). This huge, bloody war was caused by many different factors, such as colonial rivalries, militarism and the alliance system which centred in Europe. Most importantly, the July Crisis in 1914 – began with the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand – was the immediate cause of World War One. Nonetheless, the two major causes were nationalism and imperialism – jingoism and greed for power plus wealth – that directed the countries to war, as will be explained further in this essay.
Peterson, J. and Shackleton, M. 2002. The institutions of the European Union. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Dinan, D (2010): Ever Closer Union. An Introduction to European Integration (4th ed.) Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan
Thody, P. M. W. 1997.An historical introduction to the European Union. [e-book] London: Routledge. p. 1. Available through: Ebrary http://site.ebrary.com/lib/aberdeenuniv/docDetail.action?docID=10057275 [Accessed: 26 Mar 2014].
The story of Europe is a story that is worth telling for the simple fact that without the background of Europe, people will not understand the complexities in the creation of the Europe of yesterday and creation of the Europe today. This rich history cannot be ignored because of the close ties to the creation of the nations and the supranational institutions that have become the European Union and its trade partners. Without the background on the history of Europe the creation of this larger organization or supranational organization would be nearly impossible to understand the complexities of the current political, social and economic qualities within the EU. The history of a country, state or organization also helps us to understand the some aspects of the future of the EU.
Weiler, Joseph H.H.: «Community, Member States and European Integration: Is the Law Relevant?», Journal of Common Market Studies 21 (1982), pp. 39-56.