Formation/Cours

Introducing the students to the main historical phases of European integration from the end of WWII to the ratification of Lisbon treaty. The student will be able to understand the various projects, crises and relaunches in European integration, linked to political, economic, military or institutional questions.

Course outline

1. Introduction. The Origins

a. Europe in Ruins

b. The Divorce : Start of the Cold War

c. Marshall Plan

d. The Precursors : First cooperations

2. History of European Idea

a. Where to begin?

b. Inter-war period : United States of Europe, Paneuropa

c. Nazi New Europe

d. After the war : Union of European Federalists, European Movement

3. Birth of European Community

a. Schuman Declaration

b. ECSC 1951

c. Rejection of European Defense Community

d. Failure of European Political community

4. Relaunch of Integration

a. A way leading to Rome : Beyen plan, Messina, Spaak report

b. Rome Treaties : EEC + Euratom

5. First decades of the Communities

a. 1958-68 : Ups and Downs of the Beginnings

– first steps

– French foreign policy, a challenger for Europe

– Empty chair crisis

– institutional adaptations

b. 1969 – 79 : Completion and Deepening

– political cooperation

– economic and monetary cooperation

– institutional reform

6. A Series of Reforms : Europe of the Treaties

a. Single Act

b. Maastricht

c. Amsterdam and Nice

d. Lisbon

7. Shifting Boundaries

a. Contentious Issue of UK Accession

b. First enlargement

c. Enlargements to the South

d. Enlargements to the North

e. The Big Bang and others…

8. Historiography of Europe : a new discipline

a. A new breed of historians

b. Towards emancipation from EU circles ?

9. Community of Europeans ?

a. European Identity across decades : a hot issue

b. Current Developments : economic crisis, Brexit, migration…

The course will first deal with the history of the European idea, the nature of post-war cooperation on the continent, the start of European integration in the 1950s. It will then more specifically focus on the formation and expansion of the European Communities, on the subsequent developments that led to the creation of the European Union and finally, and on the evolutions in the early 21th century, up to the Lisbon Treaty.

The focus will be on patterns and stages of integration in the changing contexts of European economy and politics, as manifest especially in the landmark treaties, achievements but also challenges of each period. Attention will be given to contexts, personalities, and major policies. What social, political, and economic forces facilitated the process of European integration and ultimately paved the way to a single European market with a common currency, common foreign and security policy, regulatory policy and citizenship?