The Origins and Limits of the European Idea - Essay Example

The end of the Second World War had left Europe completely deva d and exhausted. No country on the continental Europe was left in a shape to recover on its own. The biggest industrial power house of Germany lay in ruins, the vast farm lands of Eastern Europe were left behind the iron curtain. The traditional protectionist and tariff based trade approach had left Europe fighting for centuries and stopped it from exploiting its complete potential. Well before the Second World War, thinkers had started advocating for a united Europe. The rejection of Nazi style united Europe "Europasche Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft" led the thinkers to accept the American version based on free markets and trade. United States had financed the European war effort through the lend lease agreement in which 50.1 billion US Dollars (almost 700 billion dollars at 2007 prices) worth of materiel was dispatched. However at the end of the Second World War, Europe was in no position to repay the mammoth debt. Also the tremendous rise in industrial effort in United States had led to a high level of production capacity whose only possible buyers could be the European states. Thus it was in American vested interests as well to finance the reconstruction of Europe through various instruments available, one of which was the European Recovery Plan or the Marshall Plan. But to American thinkers, the biggest hindrance to the reconstruction of Europe was the traditional strict protectionist trade structure of Europe. American thinkers rightly believed that quick recovery of European Continent could only be possible by the creation of a United Europe on the lines of United States where all the resources available are synergized to achieve a faster reconstruction and growth. However this could not just be credited to United States as the promoter of European Idea as the entire continent was tired of the countless wars and long standing antagonism in the continent. Movements had started all over Europe for integration of Europe into one federal state or state like structure. However the Europeans wanted to stay away from American sphere of influence as well as the iron curtain of Europe and maintain a third European Pole. But the cold war ensured that this non alignment would be increasingly difficult to maintain and the Europe as on the border of expanding Soviet sphere of influence have to choose United States as its reliable partner and accept the American model of governance. The Marshall Plan was the first step in practically forcing the European idea into the real world. As per Marshall Plan, United States agreed to fund the reconstruction effort in post war Europe only on the condition that if the Europe act together and present a mutually agreed reconstruction plan. Indirectly United States dictated the European states to learn to negotiate towards a common European recovery goal rather than the narrow self interest they had hitherto been following. This had a remarkable effect on the integration of future Europe. The Marshall Plan itself and the institutional mechanism established to implement it became the training grounds for the bureaucrats who later on worked in institutional integration of Europe. The success of the plan demonstrated to all and sundry in Europe, the benefits of economic integration. The free trade and non protectionist environment generated due to Marshall Plan ensured continuous two decades of excellent Economic Growth. Thus Marshall Plan stands as one towering example of United States's influence in shaping up the European Idea into a practical reality. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) became another fundamental effort by United States to shape up European thought into mutual coexistence in political and defence domains. What Marshal Plan achieved in economic domain was achieved by NATO in political / military domains. Though it can be argued that Marshal Plan started the economic integration process which culminated into one European Economy, while nothing of this sort is visible in military / political domains, it is evident that economic integration is the fastest to achieve in an era where states consider their sovereignty to be above any thing else. It is not easy to relinquish authority in favour of some higher institution of government. However NATO demonstrated to Europe that they are one entity and their fundamental concerns are not inside but outside. Therefore the results in political / military domain are yet to be visible, however it cannot be negated that the idea of self defence against one common enemy has fostered the feeling of one whole. United States being the sole western superpower after the world war was in a position to negotiate such a defence treaty. Without American backing the idea might not have crossed the drawing boards. Therefore it definitely goes to American credit that it willingly or unwillingly promoted the idea of United Europe. United States must be given due credit for promotion of the idea of United Europe right from the outset even when the contours of post war Europe were not clear and it was not sure whether Nazi Germany would be defeated through its insistence on signing on Atlantic Charter with the pre World War II Super Power i.e. Great Britain. The charter was greatly appreciated and it was unilaterally accepted by many other European nations. It can be argued that this charter formed the basis of further enhancement of the European Idea. The cold war became the accelerator to the idea of a United Europe. As Europe became the battle ground between two super powers and neutrality got out of question due to changing geo-political situation, some form of unity, be it military or economic became a necessity for the European states. The possibility of another war on the European soil between two erstwhile allies of Second World War became a reality and it compelled the European states on both sides i.e. West and East two join hands and assure that it may never happen again by forming blocs of influence. Both sides got apprehensive of expansion in adversary's sphere of influence and therefore took measures to join hands to check it. Later on after liquidation of Soviet sphere of influence it became easy for former eastern bloc states to join their western counterparts and join an existing institutional unity. It is evident that United States had substantial role in promotion and development of the European Idea, however it can be argued that the world was naturally drifting to the idea of free trade and liberalism under the influence of the great secular theories which emerged in 19th Century Europe. The population and environment was ripe for the development of the unity idea in the war weary Europe and American Influence merely accelerated the process. Even without it and may be even if American interests ran contrary to idea of European Idea, it was very much possible that this idea would have practically developed into the present shape Europe by indigenous efforts of the people who desired to create unity in the war torn post world war Europe. Read More