After the war, the United States helped Europe through the Marshall Aid Plan. This gave Europe money, supplies, and military help to recover from the war and to prevent the spread of communism. All the aid plans were for recovery but it also had a political twist, such as a United States of Europe wanted by President Truman of the United States of America. This was achieved by creating NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949. Ten European countries as well as Canada and the United States signed this treaty. The aim of NATO was to provide a 20-year guarantee of continued military presence in Europe. The deal was that approximately 80% of the soldiers were to come out of Europe itself, while 80% of weaponry and air power would come from the United States through funds. With NATO, the United States was hoping to promote to the European countries to build up their own weapons. However, to do this, countries needed coal, steel and iron and the European Coal and Steel Community was launched on French and German initiative in May of 1950. Britain was part of NATO and this led to more of a unified European Community. Britain was finally getting involved in European affairs instead of isolating themselves as an island. Therefore, this was bringing them closer to Europe and the wider European Union. Britain was getting themselves involved in organizations. That meant that they were showing interest towards joining a wider European Union.
Towards the end of 1954, new agreements were emerging. One such agreement was to let Italy and Germany join in the Western European Union. This union was to provide military assistance to the countries that needed it. It was also important because it allowed two former enemies, the Germans and the Italians, to join up with the Allies. Throughout all the different agreements and communities, Britain was not a part of them. However, with the Western European Union, the British decided to join and took over the none military functions. Britain may have only been involved with the military aspects but it was a start to a unified European Union.
After four years, it could clearly be seen that the EEC was flourishing. French “production had risen by 75%”(Lowe, page 192) and German production had increased by “almost 90%”(Lowe, page 192). During this time, Britain started to reconsider their options. Britain’s economy was “much less successful” (Lowe, page 192) than countries such as Germany and France, who were in the EEC. Britain tried to negotiate themselves into the EEC but French President, de Gaulle, vetoed Britain’s entry into the EEC and situations were back to the way they were.
The American role in Europe was slowly decreasing. All Europe needed was a financial and economical boost, which they got from the Americans in the form of the Marshall Plan. Once production started increasing and organizations such as the EEC and the ECSC were in place, Europe started to have more control over their own countries. This is what American President Truman had hoped for, a more sound and stable Europe to eliminate the possibility of Communism. After World War II, Europe was devastated, the economy was at an all time low and so was morale. This was the perfect time for Communism to take over and share with Europe their ideologies. However, Capitalist countries such as the USA, did not want Communism to run rampant throughout Europe. Therefore, the Marshall Aid Plan was put into action to stop Communism and this was the political twist involved with the aid plans.
Despite the problems that occurred Britain was allowed to join the EEC in 1973 because of the resignation of French President de Gaulle. Georges Pompidou was his successor and had a more “friendly” attitude towards the British. Along with the British, Denmark and Ireland were allowed to join, increasing from the original Six, to the Nine. Soon after, in 1981, Greece joined the EEC and later in 1986, Spain and Portugal were members as well. In 1995 membership was increased from twelve to fifteen when Austria, Finland, and Sweden all joined the community. In the 1970’s countries were not allowed to join because of their political and economical status. Countries such as Portugal and Spain were refused into the EEC because of their poor economy. Greece was also another refused country because of their status. However, as the years progressed into the 1990’s, countries that still did not have much economic or political power were allowed to join and have the ability to flourish. That is one difference between the ‘70’s and ‘90’s in the European Community.
The journey of starting the European Economic Community in 1957 to the European Union in the 1990’s was a long and arduous one. The American role in providing supplies and aid to Europe decreased as the threat of Communism started to decrease as well. There were problems that had risen, but with the help of the United States to a certain point, the original small European Community was able to widen its horizons to include poorer countries to develop into a more unified Europe.
Works Cited
Lowe, Norman. Mastering Modern World History. London: MacMillan Press LTD, 1997.
Watson, Jack. World History Since 1945. London: John Murray Ltd, 1989.
Caluocoressi, Peter. World Politics 1945-2000. Essex: Longman Pearson Education, 2001.
