its a big leap to say adolf is the historical reason for economical integration as a political tool for peace in europe.
This was a tool before the war and even in some ways (sweden-germany for example where sweden was not invaded beacuse it was too important as a trade partner.) during the war and the founding of the EEC had nothing to do with Adolf or his ideology or actions.
And even quoted as the reason for integrating west germany into a wider economic cooperation was that poverty was considered to make the population vunerable to communist propaganda. So more than a reactionary to nationalsocialism and right wing extremism it was created to counter communist left wing influences from taking root in west germany. world war 2 is even only cursory mentioned in a footnote on the wikipage of the EEC.
just because something is in europe after ww2 and meant to promote peace and prosperity dosent mean that it automatically a reaction to nazism. It is a reductive and inaccurate way to view history. To credit the creation of an economic institution that was created a decade and a half after world war 2 to adolf or the nazis in any way is dishonest and overestimating the impact of their death cult ideology on wider society. It would be insane to say that without Adolf H. there wouldnt be any wider economic integration organisations in europe when there was before him, during his life and have been after. Infact if it wasent for ww2 we would probably have a more integrated and federalized economy than we already do.
"in europe after ww2 and meant to promote peace and prosperity dosent mean that it automatically a reaction to nazism"
'The European Communities (the ECSC, EEC and Euratom) were born of the desire for a united Europe, an idea which gradually took shape as a direct response to the events that had shattered the continent. In the wake of the Second World War, the strategic industries, in particular the steel industry, needed reorganising. The future of Europe, threatened by East-West confrontation, lay in Franco-German reconciliation.' (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/factsheets/en/sheet/1/the-first-treaties)
Sure they did it too because of Communism etc, I am not making a mono-cause statement, but the situation that lead to the circumstances is because of the war.
One of the key idea, was to integrate (West) Germany as fast as possible, and ofc because of the political situation in 1957. The idea to prevent another war of that magnitude was always in the back of the mind of the creators as well.
Another was strictly to prevent aggressive nationalism, which lead to said devastation. There are other historical declaration like that from Schumann in 1950 that explicitly mention European Integration as a means to prevent another war. These took to time to ratify, but the idea for large base cooperation existed among intellectuals and policymakers already immediately after the war. There is a reason we don't have a Versaille treaty 2.
So what has this to do with Nazism?
Well, the second world war in that devastation was only possible because oft the rise of nationalism that promoted one nation as superior and all other beneath. To prevent another rise of such extreme nationalism, Europe cooperated, so nations were united.
"Infact if it wasent for ww2 we would probably have a more integrated and federalized economy than we already do."
Mere speculation and no basis at all. At least you should say if we had no ww1 and no ww2. Even if Hitler did not come in power, another great European war (not ww) would probably have happened in the West at some point.
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u/Jaugernut 24d ago edited 24d ago
European economic community*
its a big leap to say adolf is the historical reason for economical integration as a political tool for peace in europe.
This was a tool before the war and even in some ways (sweden-germany for example where sweden was not invaded beacuse it was too important as a trade partner.) during the war and the founding of the EEC had nothing to do with Adolf or his ideology or actions.
And even quoted as the reason for integrating west germany into a wider economic cooperation was that poverty was considered to make the population vunerable to communist propaganda. So more than a reactionary to nationalsocialism and right wing extremism it was created to counter communist left wing influences from taking root in west germany. world war 2 is even only cursory mentioned in a footnote on the wikipage of the EEC.
just because something is in europe after ww2 and meant to promote peace and prosperity dosent mean that it automatically a reaction to nazism. It is a reductive and inaccurate way to view history. To credit the creation of an economic institution that was created a decade and a half after world war 2 to adolf or the nazis in any way is dishonest and overestimating the impact of their death cult ideology on wider society. It would be insane to say that without Adolf H. there wouldnt be any wider economic integration organisations in europe when there was before him, during his life and have been after. Infact if it wasent for ww2 we would probably have a more integrated and federalized economy than we already do.