libs reflection

Personal Refl ection Essay AssignmentPrepared by: Howard HeStud ent ID: A00688012Instructor: Gene HomelDate: 2012-8-22IntroductionThe movement of European integration has started for fifty years so far. In many ways, Europe has reached a state nobody has yet reached in the past. Perhaps someone will say, this is a result of Worl d War II, the brutality of war makes them to rethink their future path, so the Schuman Decl aration and Coal and Steel Community come out one by one; even until the European Union is est ablished, these all proves that two wars have made a great impact on European. However, another question is raised: before the Schuman Decl aration is approved, how d oes the European think. My focus is that, we are familiar with the EU in the evolutionary process, but we are ignoring the history before the EU is established. Schuman’s Decl aration is not suddenly appeared; Europe has over a period of thinking and brewing before that. As we l ook at the process of European integration shoul d not only st art from 1950, perhaps we shoul d start from the turn of the century. When facing with the conflict, how does European deal with? What they l earn about the Worl d War I and Worl d War II? How and why did this t ransformation come about is the main topic for this essay.What is "European"? This is a probl em pl ague Europeans for a l ong time, and it is not a simpl e probl em. From a geographical perspective, someone will expl ain: is the British and Russian considered part of Europe? Someone from the spirit l evel to expl ain, the root of North American is from Europe, are they considered part of Europe? Others to expl ain the basis for the distinction of race, thescattered Jews in Europe, and wand ering Gypsies in Europe, are they considered part of Europe? More peopl e to judge by the Roman Catholic, if the Japanese believe in the religion of Rome, are they considered part of Europe? I must admit that this is an intractabl e probl em, but yet at the same time it is chall enging and interesting.Impact from Wars19th century Europe is a pure paradise and some have ever call ed this period as a gol den age in Europe. However, the outbreak of the First Worl d War, whol e atmosphere in Europe has been totally changed. Before the war, most countries in Europe seem optimistic about the future. The rise of newspapers, tel egraph, trains and travel s have pull ed peopl e cl oser. More and more peopl e receive compul sory education opportunities, as well as better communication. Peopl e have basic understanding of European geography and political system. However, it is a bad start for the European integration. In the l ate 19th century, the upsurge of nationalism in Europe and the rise of imperialist countries makes the idea of European integration is obsol ete. Peopl e no l onger even talk about Europe. Europe is no l onger a correct proposition. Worl d War I began in 1914 and ended in 1918. This war is not a traditional European war anymore, and it turns into a worl d war of mass destruction. After Worl d War II, the rest in Europe only dil apidated and chaotic, European self-consciousness has l ong gone.Europe (1914-1945)After the Worl d War I, United States get s involved. The principl e of “Fourteen Point s” is mentioned by President Woodrow Wil son. The League of Nations is established in ord er to safeguard the count ries’ freedom and worl d peace. Although the major participating countries mostly from Europe, it just not only provide ideal program for the future, but al so they want to buil d a new gl obal peace. Moreover, some of them have become the content of the Treaty of Versaill es (Versaill es Treaty).However; it is not fair to Germany, which is defeated in Worl d War I. The main goal is to weaken the German force. Therefore, German has to assume all responsibility for the l ost: pay huge compensation, cede many l and to Pol and; set the restrictions to prevent army grow in power. Unfortunately, the Versaill es Treaty only brings the chaos to Germany instead of peace.When communist forces successfully take power in Russia, a new idea is brought to Europe: the war is not existed between countries, but in the cl ass struggl e within each country. As a result, the Soviet system of government will become a direct chall enge to all the liberal democrat s and nationalist s. The communist s think Communism is a modern phenomenon, a solution for the future. Interestingly, in the post-war, Fascism, which is extreme anti-communist ideol ogy, al so believes that he is a modern phenomenon. Neverthel ess, both ideol ogies are malicious toward the democracy because they believe that democracy is outdated and wrong ideol ogy.In Italy, Benito Mussolini came to power in 1922, and his fascist regime woul d take at l east two years to fully form. Unfortunately, the crisis of the l ate 1920s, the European economic disintegrates. Great Depression causes l ot s of unempl oyment; so many European countries have to give up a democratic regime. They do not trust the democracy anymore. As the power of Nazi Germany comes out, peopl e have not recognized that is the beginning of the Worl d War II. In summary, during this period, the major European is competing among the three ideol ogies: communism, fascism and freed om of democracy. Their different ideol ogies not only shaped the different European thinking more deeply, but al so deeply affected with the l ater devel opment of the European integration idea.With the continuation of the war and the brutal campaign, a voice is strongly appeared: peopl e begin to think about what is beyond the war. They need a full expl anation for the war occurrence. The l onger the time is, the stronger the voice is. In these circumstances, the so-call ed "real" Europeanism really exist s, but it is still unabl e to determine. French history schol ar the community rossall (Jean-Baptiste Durosell e) In this regard, it is a simpl e sentence: “From 1914 to 1918, there was no Europe.” But even so, they a re still l ooking for new Europe.The European Postwar Plan (1923-1930)The strength of democracy in post-war Europe start to grow, many optimist s l ooks forward new Europe. They l earn a l esson from ruelty of war and understand the importance of cooperation. After 1923, Europe begin to rebuil d, many devise apl an of integration in Europe. The most important and influential pl an is suggested by Caray Wilkie (Coudenhove Kal ergi). The Caray Wilkie "pan-European" idea, the most import ant function, is to ensure peace. Caray Wilkie believes that, “they shoul d establish a compul sory arbitration and multil ateral cooperation within Europe.”In order to reduce the possibility of bord er conflict, it reduces in the importance of the border. The function of the pan-European Union is to protect the small European country against external threat s, especially the threat from Russia. The ultimate goal, of course, is to unify Europe.Another focus is economic. He believes that those small countries in Europe are self-contained. That makes a very dangerous state to Europe. It is much more difficult to restore the damage caused by the war in Europe too. The concept of “pan-European” significantly reduces the cost of armament s and simul ates the economic growth through a no-tariff b arriers “Common Market”. Therefore, if European integration is successful, the “pan European” occupies an excell ent position for worl d economy.European integration plan - Briand (Aristide Briand)The Briand think European countries shoul d jointly signed a t reat to establish a Union based on the “European spirit” in order to unite all member states. Furthermore, this treaty shoul d provide for the European government s to hol d regul ar meetings to promote the progress of European cooperation. At the same time, he suggest s that, they shoul d set up a small er but permanent politicalcommittee members by the countries in establishment of secret ariat composed. It is aim to deal with the usual General Schedul e. In his point of view, as l ong as being successful in the l evel of political cooperation, the economic cooperation will be fine to move forward. In other words, if there is no political cooperation as premise, it is impossibl e to achieve European Common Market.Nazi propaganda trickHowever, Nazism is essentially contrary to European integration. Before and during the Worl d War II, Nazi Germany is constantly using the concept of Europe as the propaganda tool. In the beginning of the WWII, Germany has created an illusion of high degree of economic cooperation in the European Union; so many peopl e believe that the future woul d be bright if they cooperate with Germany. Therefore, Germany uses such propaganda during war more frequently and effectively than allies. Caray Wikie and other fed eral supporter of the European concept know that, as l ong as the Nazi Germany is here, the so-call ed EU vision is never coming. In 1930s, the public and support are not interested in federalism at all. Until the Worl d War II has broken out, European integration pl an is recovered again. Almost all in European are against Germany, and they begin to ask for the European integration. They al so emphasis that: overcome the narrow concept of the nation-state; and put forward the demand to the maintenance of human right s and freedom.SummaryFrom 1914 to 1945, Europe has experienced two worl d wars. The politics and society have a significant change as well as the daily life in many aspect s. During thirty five years, the characteristics of European change form arrogant and compl acent to discouraged and disheartened. For European concept, as we have seen before, they t ry so hard to attempt different methods in order to solve the serious situation, but the concept of European Union is not accepted by all countries and peopl es. Moreover, we can see that the concept of nation is the common el ement.During that period, the concept of nation decided the d evel opment of all other concept s. Many event s are al so guided due to the rise of the concept of nationlism. Firstly, in the fiel d of European political, nationalism has been the main concerns of the count ries dipl omatic issues, and issues are raised by many politicians. Even the outbreak of the two worl d wars, nationalism al so pl ays an important absolute fuse. Furthermore, the concept of nation in the European has been widely supported. The postwar Treaty of Versaill es is based on the nationalism. Europe can be seen as a combination of different cultures, but why can not be regarded as the combination of the different ethnic groups? As result s of many politicians are shaping for the European integration, of course, they still not jump out of the framework of nationalism. For exampl e, Briand integration pl an still has not deviated from the ethnic principl e eventually.In addition, for some thinkers oppose ethnic principl es, such as Caray Wilkie, although he st ressed that go beyond the concept of the st ate, it is interesting that the context of his ideas still foll ow the national principl e Before Europeans to fully realize the concept of European integration, the idea of the nation may still need to exist. Perhaps we can say that, without the presence of nationalism, the European concept at the time and perhaps impossibl e to shaping out. The same time, due to the progress of science and technol ogy in Europe in the face of external chall enges, the formation of the European concept, more or l ess is al so slightly forced.Although the technol ogy has been tremend ous progress in the early twentieth century, European nationalism has reached the point of ext remely prosperous. At the same time, it is al so a very bl eak time in Europe. Technol ogy and nationalism to a new direction in Europe, but has gradually undermined the value of the 19th century. Nationalism like the French phil osopher Henri Bergson (Henri Bergson) said, although the technol ogy to bring the Europeans a better life, however extreme despotism take this as a favorabl e tool. We can say that nationalism is like the doubl e-edged sword, it is a strong foundation, but it destruct s it self at the same time.This is the plight of Europe at that time, peopl e cannot compl etely abandon the traditional values of the 19th century, but it cannot accept the new despotism either, perhaps just as the German phil osopher Husserl (Edmund Husserl) said, “Europe's l argest dangerous is tired.”Europe realizes that they are no l onger the power center of the worl d, and the situation changes: the so-call ed "European" is only one area of the gl obal map. Perhaps the concept of “European” is gradually formed in a fear. When facing the external chall enges and internal weakness, the immortality of the European spirit has become a best tool to protect Europe. Eventually, the new Europe has been transformed after 1945.。