Political and Economic Integration in Europe

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Following the multi-national crisis of World War II, Europe, as a whole, suffered from economic and political instability. Beginning with the creation of the Council of Europe in 1949, Europe began a process of political and economic integration, ultimately leading to the creation of the European Union. Europe’s economies became more closely tied due to the European Coal and Steel Community and the Treaty of Rome, which lead to The Economic Community, all eventually creating closer political bonds between countries.
The creation of new communities and markets were essential to the economic integration of Europe. Due to the high cost, both in terms of human life and economy, European nations were decimated. Robert Schuman, the foreign minister of France, proposed, "the pooling of coal and steel production... will change the destinies of those regions which have long been devoted to the manufacture of munitions of war" (Schuman Declaration). This plan lead to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community, and, in addition to making Europe more economically integrated throu...

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