Wars are terrifying and devastating, and World War II brought too many challenges and destruction. Since the European countries had to deal with consequences, they could not leave any opportunity for another war to happen. Therefore, on May 9, 1950, French political thinker Robert Schuman proposed his plan, one objective of which was to prevent further military conflicts between Germany and France and create a more powerful organization. The outcome of this plan was the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) a year later.
Making relationships more positive was a challenging task the countries faced after the war. As noticed by researchers, the relations between the two countries were poisoned by the issue of the Ruhr and the Saar coalfields (The University of Luxembourg, n.d.). France had special access to these valuable resources, which meant that it was under threat. In order to solve the conflict peacefully, Schuman decided to address the problem by placing the joint steel and coal output within the framework of a supranational structure (The University of Luxembourg, n.d.). Therefore, the war between Germany and France became impossible and undesirable for both countries.
Another reason for the plan’s creation included the powerlessness of other European organizations. According to researchers, the Council of Europe and the Organization for European Economic Cooperation did not manage to solve the problems they faced. For instance, the Council of Europe could rarely show its power and make different governments adopt its plans. The OEEC, which was responsible for the Marshall Plan, merely “limited itself to drafting vague directives, without ever achieving a genuine integration of European markets” (The University of Luxembourg, n.d., para. 3). After the ECSC was created, it brought political and economic success. Consequently, it is possible to say that the Schuman plan tried to address all the mentioned problems by promoting the idea of unification, support, and peaceful co-existence of the European countries.
Reference
The University of Luxembourg. (n.d.). From the Schuman plan to the Paris treaty (1950–1952): The inadequacy of the international organisations. CVCE. Web.