The EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for transforming Europe from a continent of war to peace. The three Presidents of Europe received the prize in Oslo on December 10th, 2012. The document then provides background information on the aftermath of WWII in Europe, including immense human and economic costs, as well as psychological effects. It discusses early steps toward European integration, including Churchill's 1946 call for a "United States of Europe" and the founding of the ECSC and EEC.

1. On October 12th
2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel
committee said the EU had helped to transform Europe "from a continent of war to
a continent of peace". In the photo, the three Presidents of Europe receive the Prize
in Oslo on 10th
December 2012.
FROM A CONTINENT OF WAR TO A CONTINENT OF PEACE

2. LESSON PLAN
- the aftermath of WWII
- Winston Churchill Zurich speech 1946
(oral comprehension)
- The Founding Fathers of Europe:
differences in approach (research)
- The first steps: The ECSC and EURATOM
- The Treaty of Rome (EEC) versus EFTA
The creation of Europe

3. The Cost in human lives
Between 50-70 million dead during the war – 2,5% of the world
population
The USSR: 21M China: 13M Germany: 7M Jews: 6M
Civilians account for more than half of the dead
13M Japanese and Germans deplaced
Millions of Prisoners of War released and come home

4. The economic cost
The great European nations are economically ruined
Major cities have been razed to the ground and
infrastructure destroyed
Millions are homeless and starving

5. The Psychological effects
People in a state of shock and disarray
The Concentration Camps / Nuremberg trials (Nov '45 – Oct '46)
A bombs on Japan
France: resistant or collaborator? 1500 executions carried out

6. The Rebuilding of Europe …
Winston Churchill, University of Zurich 19th
September 1946
Listen to the recording and answer the
following questions.
Churchill described the chaos and misery in
Europe following WWII. He then outlined his
plans to save the future. Here, he sums up
his propsals at the end of his speech.
- What was the main aim of all nations?
- What name did he give to his union of
Europen states?
- What was to be the first step?
- Who was to lead the European
nations?
- What was the rôle of the UK to be?
You will hear the recording three times.

7. The Founding Fathers of Europe
Research: what role did they play?
Konrad Adenauer (Germany)
Joseph Bech (Luxembourg)
Johan Willem Beyen
(Netherlands)
Alcide De Gasperi (Italy)
Robert Schuman (France)
Paul-Henri Spaak (Belgium)

8. Robert Schuman (France)
Obviously, Schuman is remembered for his
declaration on 9th
May 1950 when he
proposed the pooling of the production of
coal and steel between Germany and
France – a proposition which was to form
the embryo of the EEC … but Schuman also
believed in the EDC and was the first
president of the predecssor of the European
Parliament in 1958.

9. Alcide De GASPERI (Italy)
De Gasperi believed that peace in Europe must
pass by European union and the spread of
democracy rather than force. He pushed for the
new Italy to join NATO and strongly supported
the ECSC and the idea of the EDC. He played
the rôle of mediator between France and
Germany and had a clear view of European
integration complementing but not replacing
nation-states.

10. Joseph Bech (Luxembourg)
Bech helped to cretae the BENELUX in
1944 while in exile in London. He realised
that such a small nation like Luxembourg
could only have a future in a unified
Europe. He was in favour of the ECSC
proposed by Schuman. At the Messina
conference in 1955, he argued for
economic union as first step in the future
federation of Europe.

11. Konrad ADENAUER « Der Alte » (West Germany)
Konrad Adenauer was a convinced European
who believed that after two World Wars, the
only way to lasting peace was through a
unified Europe. He fought for German
reintegration in Europe through its
participation pan-European organizations
such as the ECSC, the EEC and NATO. He
was the first Chancellor of the new West
Germany and was the oldest Chancellor in
recent German history. He also signed the
Elysée Traty with France in 1963, putting and
end to centuries of Franco-German animosity.
In 2003, the Germans voted him « the
greatest German of all time ».

12. Paul-Henri SPAAK (Belgium)
Spaak believed the future of Europe was in the
creation of a supranational Europe … this was first
to be created through economic union, as he had
done in the creation of the BENELUX. He believed
in political union but not until economic union had
been a success and argued for the entry of the UK
into the EEC, against De Gaulle, before going any
further. He was one of the major voices in
European integration from the very outset.

13. Johan Willem BEYEN (Netherlands)
An international banker and businessman, Beyen
proposed a plan in 1955 which put European
integration back on track. He argued political union
was for the moment impossible and could not be
achieved without first creating economic union
through the creation of a customs union, like
BENELUX. His plan was accepted at Messina, after
the failure of the EDC, and helped save the
process of European integration when France was
reluctant to go further. However, even though he
argued for economic integration, he still believed
political union would follow.

14. The Rebuilding of Europe
Inetrgovernmentalism or Federalism?
1960
EFTA : the outer 7 EEC : the inner 6
Europe of Seven
The UK Denmark Portugal
Sweden Norway Austria
Switzerland
Europea of Six
France Germany Italy
BElgium NEtherlands
LUXembourg (BENELUX 1944)
What about …
Churchill? De Gaulle?

15. TO BE OR NOT TO BE EUROPEAN?
The British Empire
458 million people - 20% world population / 37.4 million km2 - 25% of the land
« The sun never sets on the British Empire »

16. TO BE OR NOT TO BE EUROPEAN?
EIRE
After independence (relative) the Irish economy was based upon self-sufficiency,
increased farming and dependence uopn trade with Great Britain

17. TO BE OR NOT TO BE EUROPEAN?
The Wind of Change
Harold MacMillan 3rd
February 1960, Cape Town
The empire was falling apart … and with it trade links and their privileges … relations
were not good with the USA
"The wind of change is blowing
through this [African] continent, and
whether we like it or not, this
growth of national consciousness is
a political fact. We must all accept
it as a fact, and our national
policies must take account of it."

18. The First British Request for Admission to the EEC : 1961
Prime Minister
Harold MacMillan
(1957-1963)
Conservtaive Party
Edward (Ted) Heath
Chief Negotiator of
Britain's first request
to join the EEC
The British Commonwealth was falling apart due to pressure for independence. Its
relationship with new US president JF Kennedy was not a simple one … and the
EEC was a success in continental Europe, more than EFTA was : Britain needed to
trade further with Europe and entry into the EEC was in Britain's interest.
The British Government and the British people have been through a searching debate during the last few
years on the subject of their relations with Europe. The result of the debate has been our present
application. It was a decision arrived at, not on any narrow or short-term grounds, but as a result of a
thorough assessment over a considerable period of the needs of our own country, of Europe, and of the
free world as a whole. We recognise it as a great decision, a turning point in our history, and we take it in
all seriousness. In saying that we wish to join the EEC, we mean that we desire to become full,
whole-hearted and active members of the European Community in its widest sense and to go
forward with you in the building of a new Europe."

19. The Second Request for Entry into the EEC : 1967
Prime Minister Harold Wilson (1964 -1970)
Labour Party
“I want the House (of Commons), the country
and our friends abroad to know that the
Government are approaching the discussions
I have foreshadowed with the clear intention
and determination to enter the European
Economic Community if, as we hope, our
essential British and Commonwealth interests
can be safeguarded. We mean
business.”
Harold Wilson, Speech to the Consultive Assembly of the Council of
Europe, Strasbourg, France, January 23, 1967
More and more countries were bcoming independent, Britain's rôle in the
commonwealth was getting weaker and the £ sterling had been devalued … it was
again in Britain's interest to join the EEC.

20. NON, NON,
NON !
Reasons for De Gaulle's Refusal :
- Britain was too dependent on external trade with the Commonwealth (former Empire)
- Britian had too close relations with the USA (nuclear weapons / the Trojan Horse syndrome)
- Britian was insular and had a different history – they had refused in 1957 and created EFTA
- Ireland was extremely poor and dependent on Britain for trade
- Ireland had remained neutral during WWII and had since refused to join NATO

21. ACCESSION AT LAST ...
1969 De Gaulle's
referendum on reform is
defeated and he resigns,
replaced by Georges
Pompidou, favourable to
Britain and Ireland's entry
1971 : third request for entry
1972 : Accession Treaty signed, January 22nd
1973 : Britain, Eire (and Denmark) become new
member states
Ted Heath signs the
Treaty for the UK
Patrick Hillery signs for
Ireland

22. The Troubled Relationship Between the EU and the UK
“The Poisoned Chalice”
Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: the C.A.P. And
Britain's rebate
Prime Minister John Major: the Maastricht Treaty
and Subsidiarity
UKIP: get out of Europe
Prime Minister David Cameron: the 2015
referendum on staying in the EU

23. Margaret Thatcher UK Prime Minister 1979 – 1990 Conservative Party
Although a pro-European in 1974, Thatcher became a
strong Euro-sceptic once in power. In 1984, she caused
a scandal in negotiations at the EC Council meeting in
Fontainebleau when she demanded « I want my money
back ! ». At the time, the UK was one of the greatest
contibutors to the EEC whilst it received very little in
subventions (80% of subventions went to the CAP and
France in particular). Thatcher negotiated the deal on the
British rebate which still exists despite Britain's wealth –
the UK receives a rebate of 66% on its contributions... or
for every £1,50 the UK pays, they receive £1 in rebate.
In order to change this system, voting has to be
unanimous and the UK always refuses. The CAP
received 80% of subventions in 1984, today only 40% ;
other countries have to pay the bill for the UK. rebate.

24. John Major (1990-1997) and the Maastricht Treaty
The Treaty of Maastricht responds to five key goals:
-strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the
institutions;
-improve the effectiveness of the institutions;
-establish economic and monetary union (Euro)
-develop the Community social dimension (European
citizenship)
-establish a common foreign and security policy.
The EEC became the EC and Maastricht set out a
plan for politcal integration.
The British government negotiated a long time for the
principle of subsidiarity to be included in the Treaty.
Subsidiarity is the the principle of taking decisions at
the lowest level possible – in the case of the European
Community, this means at government level for the
UK. The British government did not want to see British
sovereignty being given away to Brussels.

25. The United Kingdom Independence Party
UKIP has 12 of the 73 UK seats in the European Parliament following the 2009
elections. UKIP has not won a seat in the House of Commons to date but is
becoming the third party in British politics after the Conservatives and Labour.
It is a (far) rightwing populist party which plays on anti-European feeling and British
nationalism.
UKIP was founded in 1993 by Alan Sked and other members of the all-party Anti-
Federalist League – a political party set up in November 1991 with the aim of fielding
(proposing) candidates opposed to the Maastricht Treaty.
Its primary objective was withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union

26. David Cameron, Conservative Prime Minister and the EU Referendum 2015
The present Prime Minister David Cameron,
Conservative Party, is proposing a refrendum on the
UK's presence in the EU as part of his political
manifesto for the 2015 General Election. He says he is
against an in-out question and prefers asking how
Britain's rôle in the EU can be modified. Critics say he
is using the referendum to bring back rightwing voters
tempted to vote UKIP and who would cost him a
majority victory at the 2015 elections.