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| EUROPA > The EU at a glance > The history of the European Union > 1945 – 1959 The beginnings of cooperation |
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1945 -1959
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The end of WWII marks the begining The historical roots of the European Union lie in the Second World War. Europeans are determined to prevent such killing and destruction ever happening again. Soon after the war, Europe is split into East and West as the 40-year-long Cold War begins. West European nations create the Council of Europe in 1949. It is a first step towards cooperation between them, but six countries want to go further. |
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The Robert Schuman declaration, 9 May 1950. 9 May 1950 — French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman presents a plan for deeper cooperation. Later, every 9 May is celebrated as 'Europe Day'. |
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| Founding fathers Click here for more information on the founding fathers of the European Union, regarded by many as the principal architects of European integration following the end of the Second World War. |
18 April 1951 Based on the Schuman plan,
six countries sign a treaty to run their heavy industries – coal and steel
– under a common management. In this way, none can on its own make the
weapons of war to turn against the other, as in the past. The six are
Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. 
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Le Corbusier in front of a Unité d’habitation. Swiss architect Le Corbusier marks a new trend with the opening (1952) of his selfcontained ‘vertical city’ (Unité d’habitation) in Marseilles, France. The stark appearance of this concrete complex provokes the nickname ‘The new brutalism’. |
Hungarians pull down a statue In Hungary, people rise against the Soviet-backed regime in 1956. In November, Soviet tanks appear on the streets of Budapest to putdown the protests. |
Sputnik 1 in space - The Soviet Union beats the United States in the space race by launching the first manmade space satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957.Sputnik 1 orbits the earth at a height of 800 km. In 1961, Soviet Union wins again with the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, whose spacecraft is just 2.6m in diameter. |
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Government leaders of the six sign 25 March 1957 Building on the success of the Coal and Steel Treaty, the six countries expand cooperation to other economic sectors. They sign the Treaty of Rome, creating the European Economic Community (EEC), or ‘common market’. The idea is for people, goods and services to move freely across borders. |
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Clothes and accessories of the 1950s. In the 1950s, most children have little pocket money. They wear the same kind of clothes as their parents. But their taste in music changes with the start of rock and roll. Later, blue jeans appear, mainly for boys. Girls still wear full skirts and ankle socks. One of the most popular crazes of the decade is the hula hoop. |
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See the "European Navigator" website for more information on the history of European integration.
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Yellow panels describe European Union events.
Blue panels describe more general events in Europe.
Founding
Member States: Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.