The Idea of European Unity

The idea of a European federal union is an ancient one. As early as the 14th century, statesmen and scholars were drafting detailed plans for tighter collaboration among the many states of Eruope. Since the 17th century there has been a continuous stream of such schemes. "The Idea of European Unity" offers detailed analysis of the more important of these plans. It is also an examination and explanation of their particular characteristics in the context of the international political conditions of their time and the personal experience and conviction of their authors. For although the numerous schemes and strategies that have emerged over the centuries have had to tackle problems of striking persistence, each has been coloured by the circumstances of its composition. This will be of interest for anyone seeking background to politics, as well as students of European history and the history of ideas.