The Transformation of Western Europe - William

Western Europe has undergone dramatic changes in the 40 years since European integration was launched. The institutions set up in the postwar years - OEEC/OECD, the Council of Europe, NATO, WEU, above all the European Communities - have set the framework for relations among the West European governments since the 1950s. Yet the character of the European economy has been transformed by industrial integration and technical change.;The revolution in communications has created a European society, moving across national borders and responding to shared information. The security umbrella provided by the Americans against the evident Soviet threat has become less central.;This study looks at the interaction of political, security, economic and social developments since the European Communities were founded, notes the magnetic attraction of an integrating Western Europe for a widening circle of countries, and draws conclusions from these past trends for Europe's likely future development.