Economic and Political Integration in Western Europe, 1945 - 1975

In Western Europe, the key diplomatic issue since the end of World War II has been integration. Integration means closer cooperation on economic and political matters among different European governments.

The idea of economic cooperation emerged as part of the postwar effort to reconstruct Western Europe. In 1950, the French and West German governments decided to coordinate their mining of coal and production of steel, so they would never again conflict over the Rhineland region, where much coal and steel was produced. Their goal was to make another war "not merely inconceivable, but physically impossible," since both sides would have mines and factories on the territory near their respective borders. The neighboring European nations of Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Italy also joined in this venture, which became the European Coal-Steel Community.