European Rescue of the Nation State

This sequel to "The Reconstruction of Western Europe, 1945-51", gives a detailed history of the early years of the European Community. On one level it is an original analysis of the forces which brought the EC together, and of why Britain at first did not want to join; on another, it is an explanation, based on historical analysis, of the future relationship between nation-state and Community. Milward argues that the evolution of the Community has been an integral part of the reassertion of the nation-state as an organizational unity. Combining political with economic analysis, and based on extensive primary research in several countries, this text offers a challenging interpretation of the history of the western European state and European integration.