European Union History

 

This collection is still being annotated and upgraded. 

The following programs may be useful to use the files on our site:

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Table of contents:

Collections

European Navigator from the Centre Virtuel de la Connaissance de l’Europe is a brilliant site offering a huge multimedia archive about several European historical events and European institutions.

 

Österreich und die Europäische Integration

 

Council of Europe Audio Archives of key-personalities embracing 50+ audio clips of speeches covering half a century 

 

Council of Europe: The Saar Question  A collection of documents covering discussions on this disputed territory (claimed by both France and Germany) over the period 1949-1957 

 

BBC Milestones of the EU  Timeline plus collection of video fragment 

 

European Councils 1974-1989 in French And 1990-1999  

 

European Councils in all languages since 1985   

 

Foreign Relations of the United States  

 

G8 Information Center (University of Toronto)  for a good starting point. 

 

Instituut Nationale e l’Audio-visuel, 50 l’ans de construction européenne  has eleven video extracts 

 

Leiden University’s Schuman Plan Collection

 

LeMo Archiv A large and varied sound archive 

 

NATO on-line Library  

 

NATO Basic Documents  

 

NATO Summits and Ministerial Communiqués from 1945 to the present 

 

The Single Currency and the European Parliament (European Parliament) covers debates and resolutions from 1989 onwards 

 

Truman Library Marshall Plan Study Collection  

 

Western European Union Key texts from 1984 onwards 1930-1944


Briand Plan  (May 1930) Often praised as a first step to European integration, but curiously muted when you look at the text (Extract)

 

 

 Atlantic Conference (August 1941)

 

A selection of full-text documents put on-line by the Avalon Porject. The Charter outlines the principles for the four freedoms.

 

Official Photo and photo of the prayer service on-board the ship where the meeting was held.


Atlantic Charter  (1941) Provided the foundation of US-UK postwar collaboration, part of which found itself eventually into the arrangements for the European Recovery Program (Full Text)

Ventotene Memorandum Towards a Freer and United Europe (1941) Written in prison, provides an early indication of the great federalist Altiero Spinelli’s views of Europe. (Full Text… English translation here)  

Anglo-American Mutual Aid Agreement (February 1942) Establishes the basis of defence collaboration between the two countries, Note Article Seven which commits both countries to non-discriminatory commerce, and which will be used by the US to attack UK cartels. (Full Text)


 US President Roosevelt (March 1942, extract) announcing the agreement

 

 The Master Lend-Lease Agreement (February 1942)

Jean Monnet’ reflections (August 1943) written whilst with the Free French government in Algiers, on the future of postwar Europe and on the need for a new organisation for heavy industry

Benelux Monetary Agreement (October 1943) signed by the governments-in-exile of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, it provided for mutual trading credits after the War.

 United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Agreement (November 1943) makes provision for emergency relief supplies to liberated Europe, and for the repatriation of displaced persons, under UN auspices.  It will be Europe’s main source of supplies for two years following the end of the War. (Full text)

 Bretton Woods Agreement (July 1944) Created the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank) and the International Monetary Fund. It also established the rules governing exchange-rate management that prevailed until the system came apart in 1971/73

 Conference in session and signature.

 Morgenthau Plan (August 1944) Extract

 Benelux Customes Union Agreement (September 1944) committing the countries to forming a customs union after the War. Realising that goal proved a little more difficult.