Today we will consider what so far is the most efficient way of integrating different States in a coherent and efficient union: the Federal Union. We will get acquainted with how the model appeared in a concrete historical circumstance in a concrete group of States: the US Confederation. And how since then it has become the best option for integrating states in a durable and operative way.
The 13 American colonies got together for the first time in order to fight a common enemy: the British Crown. This is why they agreed on signing the Articles of Confederation in 1777. But when they won the war and became 13 different independent States initially they did not wished a stronger union. For ten years every North American State had its onw constitution, its own government and its own Legal System. The only common institution they shared was the Continental Congress. A non permanent Assembly where the 13 States had elective representatives. They met when they had a problem, and if they decided anything it was extremely difficult to implement the decision as they had not a common budget, nor a common executive for enforce what was agreed. Congress nevertheless was not a good instrument to face crisis, even a small problem like the one that affected the State of Massachusetts in 1786: the Shay Rebellion.
The anarchy resulting from the rebellion of an angry farmer could not be prevented by the Congress, and finally the wealthy citizens of Massachusetts had to pay from their pocket an army to reduce the rebels.
George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and most of the other founding fathers of the new nation considered that the 13 Colonies could not survive a major crisis, especially if the British, the French or the Spanish decided to attack them. So they started a big debate considering the Federalist option, that is creating a super state over the individual states that could be more operative and ensure a greater protection over internal or external dangers. It was a long and fierce debate as many States did not want to give up their full autonomy.
Finally they reached a compromise : create a short common constitution, with a strong President elected by the States and a double legislature: one representing the states (Senate) and another one representing the citizens (House of Representatives), and a very strict separation of powers. Everything to ensure that the Federal State could be controlled by the states integrated in it. Finally after the approval of the US Constitution in September 1787, a complex ratification process, that required the approval of the Bill of Rights (that became the first 10 amendments to the US Constitution), the 13 colonies got into the Union and elected as first President George Washington (1789-1797).
The US Federal State was not however not consolidated. It could have been weakened by the election of the Antifederalist Thomas Jefferson, but fortunately the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court, John Marshall (1801-1835) established the supremacy of the constitution over politics.
The other problem was the expansion of the Union from the 13 initial States to the actual 50 through the legal instrument called the Northwest Ordinance of July 1787. A long process that did not go without tensions, including a devastating Civil War (1861-1865) between the Slave and the Free States. And even today there are tensions between the Republicans that want more power for the States and the Democrats willing to reinforce the Federal power.
The important point is that despite all the problems the US are a World power because they developed a strong Federal union which is compatible with the autonomy of its member states. This is why many states all over the world have chosen the Federal model and the Presidential System (as Mexico or Russia, for instance). And this why the federal option was greatly considered by some Europeans after the sinking of the European States in the two World Wars that had shaken the Old continent in the first half of the 20th Century.
Nevertheless bringing the Federal model to Europe has proven to be far more difficult for one reason: European States have been independent for centuries, they do not share the language or similar institutions and they are, especially since the end of the 18th century extremely keen on their sovereignty. After the signing of the Westphalia Treaty, after the French Revolution and all along the 19th century. Only when European States were in ruins in 1918 they started considering that they should get together in order to remain powerful at the world level and face the US and the USSR.
The Franco British Union (June 1940)
But despite some attempts at integration, like the Pan-European Movement of Count Coudenhove Kalergi (1923) or the Briands proposal for a European Union (1929), rising tensions due to strong nationalism led to another European suicide: World War Two. It is interesting however that even between 1939 and 1945 each side tried to reinforce some kind of union to get stronger. We have to mention the short attempt for a Franco-British Union (June 1940), how Hitler tried to create a United Europe under the banner of National-Socialism and how in anti-hitlerian Europe they were different initiatives to develop a way for European integration. The most effective one was the customs and economic union created by Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg: the BENELUX (5 September 1944).
After 1945 followed some years of disarray while the destroyed European States asked Americans for money in total disorder creating a Dollar gap. Until George Marshall in 1947 established a coordinated aid that obliged the needed European States to work together if they wanted American money for reconstruction.
This period led to the first real attempt of creating an integrated Europe. An attempt that aimed at establishing a Federal Europe in the Congress of the Hague (may 1948). It was a failure but at least it enabled the Foundation of the Council of Europe (1949)with its extremely useful Human Rights Court that from Strasbourg protect Europeans from their respective States.
The Hague Congress (1948)
Nevertheless in 1949 it seemed impossible that the different European States could try to follow the same path in anything. The World belonged to the Americans and the Russians.
INSTRUCTIONS: First read the text included in your Materials (pages 211 to 252), before proceeding to answer the Concrete Questions, the Concepts and the General Questions.
Concerning the Basic Chronology (pages 253-254) You should get familiar with all the dates.
TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION IN CLASS: Would you like a Federal option for Europe?
Please consider the following aspects:
1. Understand the essence of the Federal model of State integration. Consider the differences with other models: Empire, Composite monarchies or Confederation.
2. Consider the US Federal approach. Why it appeared. Which were the main difficulties it faced for assuring its consolidation. How work the relationship between the States and the Federal State.
3. How should European States procede in order to move to a Federal Europe.
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