The European Rescue Of The Nation State

The first detailed history of the origins of the European Community, this is the sequel and companion to The Reconstruction of Western Europe, 1945-51. In arguing that the purpose of European Community policies was not to supercede but to reinforce the nation-state, Alan Milward's original and controversial study cuts through accepted orthodoxies on a topic of immense importance today. Using material from archives in eight countries, Milward examines the European coal, iron, and steel community; the origins of the Economic Community; and the beginnings of the Common Agricultural Policy. He concludes with a study of why Great Britain has remained outside these arrangements. A combination of political and economic analysis, this book provides challenging insights into the background and the future of the European Community.