Following the multinational crisis of World War II, Europe as a whole suffered from economic and political instability. Since the creation of the Council of Europe in 1949, Europe has embarked on a process of political and economic integration, which ultimately led to the creation of the European Union. European economies became more closely linked through the European Coal and Steel Community and the Treaty of Rome, which led to the Economic Community, ultimately creating closer political ties between countries. The creation of new communities and markets was essential to the economic integration of Europe. Due to the high costs, both in terms of human lives and economies, European nations were decimated. Robert Schuman, French Foreign Minister, proposed that "the pooling of coal and steel production... will change the destiny of those regions which have long been devoted to the manufacture of munitions of war" (Schuman Declaration). This plan led to the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community and, in addition to making Europe more economically integrated through...