The EU, Thatcher, and Yugoslavia. Post-War Need for Unity After World War 2, Europe needed better friendship between countries to preserve peace Political.

The EU, Thatcher, and Yugoslavia

Post-War Need for Unity

• After World War 2, Europe needed better friendship between countries to preserve peace

• Political union was rife with potential conflict and disagreement

• Military union suggested frightening implications: enemies, corruptible power, potential conflict

• Economic unity was easy to suggest, beneficial to many, did not require much sacrifice

• EU emphasizes that European nations’ commonalities are greater than their differences First steel ingot created under European

Steel and Coal community

Towards an EU• 1951: European Coal and

Steel Community: France, West Germany, Italy, Benelux

• 1957: Treaty of Rome created “European Economic Community”– EEC abolished all tariffs

between member nations, and allowed labor migration

– Join European nations together to increase clout to near status of 2 superpowers

– 1961 UK desired admission, but vetoed by France until 1973

– 1973: UK, Ireland, Denmark joined

– 1982: Spain, Portugal, Greece joined

Toward the Euro Currency• 1991: Treaty of Maastricht

– Common currency planned for EEC

– Common central bank for EEC area

– Renamed as European Union• 1999: Most EU members

joined the Euro zone, adopting single currency

• Britain and Denmark did not, and retained own central banks and currencies

• 2004: EU accepted 10 new member nations, mostly from eastern Europe– But not yet into Euro zone;

currency and fiscal stability must be proved first

The EU Today• Organization to which member

states have delegated some sovereignty so that decisions on specific matters of joint interest can be made democratically at the European level.

• Common market, without tariffs between countries and without immigration restrictions

• Works to make decisions about– Trade and the economy– Citizens’ rights– Ensuring freedom, security and

justice– Job creation– Regional development– Environmental protection– Making globalization work for

everybody

Margaret Thatcher’s UK• Conservative prime minister 1979-

1990; staunch Reagan ally• Became PM determined to reverse

decline of UK: inflation, unemployment; elected 3 times– Deregulation– Sold off public facilities to private

industry– Weakened unions: 1984-5 coal

miners strike• Gov’t to close 20 state-owned

mines• Miners struck for over a year• Violence at picket lines wounded

20,000• Miners’ union finally gave in

without concessions• By 1992, 97 pits closed and rest

sold to private industry• 1982 Falklands War: UK defended

Falkland Islands against Argentine junta’s attack

Yugoslavian Civil War• Marshal Tito ruled unified Yugoslavia

since 1940: strong central authority kept ethnicities together

• 1980: Tito died, and ethnicities began to fragment

• 1990: Slovenia and Croatia declared independence

• 1991: Croatian Serbs demanded safeguards: Serbian army attacked Croatia

• Serbia and Croatia attempted to divide Bosnia-Herzegovina: Serbian army led ethnic cleansing

• 1994: NATO bombed Serbia; Serbia withdrew from Bosnia

• 1999: Serbia attempted to force Albanians from Kosovo: NATO air strikes forced Serbian forces from Kosovo

• Serbian leader Milosovic tried before UN criminal court: died in custody

Current EU Membership