Will European Unity Be Forged in Fear?

The recent terrorist attack in Spain has impacted elections and policies in Europe. Is this a trigger for future events that will create a larger cohesive continental power?

by Paul Kieffer

Europeans tend to agree when it comes to identifying their common history: the influence of Greek philosophy, a Christian heritage originating in Jewish tradition, Roman culture, the influence of the Catholic Church, the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment. In the two centuries prior to World War II, this historic commonality was often overpowered by the drive for individual nationhood and conflicting national interests. This led to a series of bloody disasters, the last of which was World War II itself.

A different Europe rose from the ashes of that war. However, this different Europe was not solely the result of self-examination and self-determination by Europeans themselves. Instead, it was the result of an Atlantic partnership forged to counter the perceived Soviet threat to Western Europe's freedom and security.

America's commitment to Europe and its military presence on the old continent helped Europe establish stable democracies and become a key player in the world economy. The United States, originally created by Europeans, had returned to Europe and influenced the development of a new Europe with a democratic Germany at its core.

Forty years after NATO was founded to counter the Soviet threat, Germany was reunited peacefully, an event soon to be followed by the demise of the Soviet Union itself. The Cold War was won, and Western Europe, united in its fear of Soviet domination or even conquest in the years after World War II, breathed a sigh of relief.

America remains the common denominator

When the Soviet system collapsed, the geopolitical situation changed, and the United States shifted its focus. China, seen as a potential superpower, took on a new dimension in American foreign policy. Stability in the Middle East with its key energy reserves became a higher priority as well. Europe, however, was no longer as important as it had been during the Cold War years.

Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0405/europeanunity.htm

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