European Coal and Steel Community: First Step to EU (1951)
by Anonymous
Robert Schuman proposed pooling French and German coal and steel production under a supranational authority, making war between them materially impossible. This was the first step toward European integration and eventually the EU.
Supranational Authority (ECSC)
1951
year
Pool war-making resources under shared control
approach
France, Germany, Italy, Benelux
participants
Chosen — evolved into EEC, then EU
outcome
Traditional Bilateral Treaties
1951
year
Country-to-country agreements
approach
Individual nations
participants
Not chosen — too fragile, had failed before
outcome
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