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Stabilizing postwar Europe: Aligning domestic and international goals

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  • Schäfer, Armin

Abstract

This paper looks at the historical developments that led to the Schuman Plan in 1950, which today is seen as a starting signal for the European integration process. It argues that this announcement by the French foreign minister constituted a genuine change of strategy that can only be understood in the light of the preceding historical chain of events. The first steps of European integration were part of a search for suitable institutions capable of dealing with Europe's economic and political problems, which also involved the Bretton Woods institutions, Marshall Aid and the OEEC, and, finally, the ECSC. These organizations' respective fate depended on the strategies of key states, which in turn were driven by domestic concerns. Aligning their interests took several steps and was only completed when all three organizations existed in parallel. Throughout this process, all states had to abandon their preferred course of action and learn to settle for second best.

Suggested Citation

  • Schäfer, Armin, 2003. "Stabilizing postwar Europe: Aligning domestic and international goals," MPIfG Working Paper 03/8, Max Planck Institute for the Study of Societies.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:mpifgw:p0060
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