European Disunion: The Rise and Fall of a Post-War Dream?

Origins at eHistory

The economic crisis in Europe has had many predicting the end of the Eurozone and an end to the grand dreams of European unity. This month historian Donald A. Hempson III charts how the European Union and the Eurozone evolved out of a twin set of goals after World War II: to prevent European nations from going to war again and to foster economic prosperity across the continent. As he describes, the current turmoil is nothing new. Tensions and instability have long characterized the EU as it has expanded across Europe and deepened the degree of integration. While the EU has grown into one of the most powerful and successful economic blocs in the world, fears of a loss of national sovereignty have long conflicted with the economic and institutional goals of the union as a whole.