Reasons For European Integration

Another factor, which may be attributed a key reason for successful economic

Integration was the desire to compete int nationally. Europe had ceased to be a majo

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power in the world. There was belief that the creation of large markets and the coordination of economic efforts in a modern technological economy would allow European countries to co Ole. During the 1950s, Europe began to sign bilateral recruitment agreem . These agreements allowed the recruitment of `Gastarbe' o work in the industrial sector which helped to fill a gaping employment hole that drove production. The 1957 treaty of Rome led to the formation of the European conomic Community, creating a common market free of tariffs and trade barri As a result Western Europe embarked

The responsibility for war crimes was imputed by the international community to Germany alone. People across Europe especially, believed they had been wrongfully hurt by the leaders of the 'Third Reich' and wanted a judgement to that effect. Yet so long as Germany remained an unforgiven and radical nation, European integration could not succeed. In seeking to discredit nationalism, a means of solving the 'German question' by incorporating her in a larger economic unit was decided upon. In April of 1951 six western European nations signed the Paris treaty founding the European Coal and Steel Community. Proposing to place all European Coal and Steel under the control of a high commission, which could set pricing, encourage competition and buy and sell on behalf of the countries. Economically integrating two of the most sought commodities allowed European economies to take off. From 1951-53 export levels increased six fold in Europe. By the late 1950s spending power in some countries had doubled. Germany's capacity to recover was most remarkable of all. The day Hitler died, 10% of the German railway's were operational and the country was at a literal standstill. By the 1950s it was slowly becoming the economic hub of

In a sense the war changed everything because it left western Europeans with an instinctive pursuit for a similar direction. When we measure the reasoning behind economic integration holistically we realise, above all it was seen as a means to a politically successful end. For that, economic integration to a large extent succeeded: production rose, GDP grew and confidence spread. Although somewhat limited to mainland western Europe, by 1961 the extent of successful economic unity had raised Europe from the brink of collapse. Luck, greed and fear were thematically reasoned with in this essay, remedies to an economic unilateral approach but also the reason as to why European economic integration