Historic Models of European Integration

                                                                              The Europe of the Holy Alliance (1815)

So far we have studied the history of the European kingdoms, states and nation-states. In the last Teaching guide we have seen how today the nation-state model is in crisis, as Internationalism is becoming the rule. The consequence is that there is no a super power over all nation states, or at least not a direct one. And this is why the principle of Government has been replaced by the system of Governance. Authority has given its way to Negotiation. And this is what the European integration process is all about. 

After 1945 European nation-states were at the mercy of Soviet Russia and the United States. This is why they had to unite for regain some presence at the international level. The problem was that they had been independent nation-states for too long, and they ruling classes did not want to give up their sovereignty. How to get together but remaining essentially independent is not an easy thing. In fact European kingdoms and states in their long history tried several times to unite through different models of integration. 

In this teaching Guide we will see some examples of integration taken from European Constitutional history: Starting with something we know: the universal model  (pages 190-192), which in several occasions brought back the old roman idea of the empire, the last time with the Third Reich (1933-1945).

Europe under the Third Reich

 Universalism nevertheless was not the sole way of getting together in order to form a strong union. We will see four more examples in the European Constitutional Tradition. The first the composite monarchies (pages 192-193) which are the origin of two actual nation-states: Spain (193-195) and the United Kingdom (195-196). 

Spain under the Catholic Kings (From 1479)

                                                         The Hispanic Composite Monarchy in 1517

                                                                            Imperial Spain after 1582

Spain in 1833

Spain after 1978

Please note that in this two cases the union is not solid. In the case of Spain there are some regions that want to become independent as the Basque provinces or Catalonia. In the UK as a consequence of the Brexit Referendum Northern Ireland and Scotland feel uneasy as they voted clearly for Bremain. Which means that for the majority of their voters being part of the European Union it is more important than remaining in the United Kingdom. 

                                                                                         The British Empire

 Third we will examine the case of the Swiss Confederation another extremely peculiar nation-state with also a long history that started with the Grutli Oath f 1291 (pages 196-200) and has enabled the Swiss to live in what is perhaps today the most democratic country in the World. Please concentrate in the essence of what is a Confederation. Understand why Switzerland changed its constitution in 1848 moving more towards a "federal" model. Think as well why after the 1861 Secession the Southern American States became a confederation.   

Fourth we will study the Holy Alliance and the Metternich System that lasted from 1815 to 1848, a period in which the Absolutists European states maintained a solid international alliance directed to prevent the Liberal revolution. This is why their sovereigns met regularly in Congresses that decided their Common international policy (pages 200-202). An attempt of solving international conflicts through military intervention, and not through arbitration as was the case with the League of Nations and the UN today. 

NATO Alliance

Military intervention at the international level is still valid in the frame of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.  Created in 1949 to protect Europe from a possible Soviet invasion of Stalin's Russia, after the Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989) it has not been dissolved and still intervenes in Afghanistan or Kosovo. 

And fifth, finally we will see a total different approach to unification: the one that concentrates on eliminating the customs rights among different kingdoms in order to favor trade and commerce between them (Zollverein page 202). A system that was invented by Prussia as an attempt to reunite all the German speaking states at the economic level, without diminishing their political independence. A very important precedent that has led to the European Union. 

The Zollverein

EXERCISING: 

Besides reading pages 190 to 202, understanding concepts and answering the questions, you should get familiar with the following dates: 

For Spanish Composite Monarchy: 1137, 1164, 1276, 1479, 1707-1716, 1841 and 1876

For the United Kingdom: 1535-1542, 16u03, 1707, 1800, 1922, 1997 and 2014. 

For the Swiss Confederation: 1291 (August 1), 1648 and 1848.

For the Holy Alliance and Metternich System: 1815-1848

For the Zollverein: 1818-1834. 

EXAM: As it does not seem that on March 26 we are going to have a presential exam, I will put you on that date a Moot test to help you preparing the presential examination, whenever it could take place. So please study all your Teaching guides.