Why has the dream of unification of Europe endured for so long
WHY HAS THE DREAM OF THE UNIFICATION OF EUROPE ENDURED FOR SO LONG?
"I wished to found a European system, a European Code of Laws, a European judiciary: there would be but one people in Europe," – Napoleon Bonaparte
When people talk about the unification of Europe, various organizational names like European Union, United States of Europe and various other treaties and policies come to mind. The dream of unification of Europe has persisted long before the European Union was formed.
The indication of a common proto Indo-European language as a progenitor of the various modern European languages such as French, English, Spanish, German etc suggest a common ancestor for all the European people. And since the ethnicity of most of the European people is Caucasian, it is suggested by some historians that the European people originally came from a region called Caucasus where the Caucasian Mountains are situated. Most of the Europeans are descendants of these ancestors who crossed the Caucasian Mountains to settle in the rest of Europe.
It can arguably be said that all the expanding empires of European powers have aimed at unifying Europe under one rule. Even before the creation of European Union, there have been attempts to unify Europe. All living things want to survive. In order to survive they need power, in order to protect that power they need more power. Hence this desire was the reason the Greeks formed colonies all over the Mediterranean, the Romans conquered all of Europe and established their empire, the franks conquered Europe, the Holy Roman Empire was formed, napoleon conquered so much of Europe; Hitler engaged the rest of Europe in a world war. While all these wars had the motive of power behind them but they were all, nonetheless, aimed at unifying Europe.
Many rulers sought to unify Europe. For example when Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor of France, he fought virtually every European power and stretched his empire in order to unify Europe
"I wished to found a European system, a European Code of Laws, a European judiciary: there would be but one people in Europe," – Napoleon Bonaparte
When people talk about the unification of Europe, various organizational names like European Union, United States of Europe and various other treaties and policies come to mind. The dream of unification of Europe has persisted long before the European Union was formed.
The indication of a common proto Indo-European language as a progenitor of the various modern European languages such as French, English, Spanish, German etc suggest a common ancestor for all the European people. And since the ethnicity of most of the European people is Caucasian, it is suggested by some historians that the European people originally came from a region called Caucasus where the Caucasian Mountains are situated. Most of the Europeans are descendants of these ancestors who crossed the Caucasian Mountains to settle in the rest of Europe.
It can arguably be said that all the expanding empires of European powers have aimed at unifying Europe under one rule. Even before the creation of European Union, there have been attempts to unify Europe. All living things want to survive. In order to survive they need power, in order to protect that power they need more power. Hence this desire was the reason the Greeks formed colonies all over the Mediterranean, the Romans conquered all of Europe and established their empire, the franks conquered Europe, the Holy Roman Empire was formed, napoleon conquered so much of Europe; Hitler engaged the rest of Europe in a world war. While all these wars had the motive of power behind them but they were all, nonetheless, aimed at unifying Europe.
Many rulers sought to unify Europe. For example when Napoleon Bonaparte became emperor of France, he fought virtually every European power and stretched his empire in order to unify Europe