The EU was founded in the late 1950's in the aftermath of World War II. The EU has grown from originally six countries to 27 member states in 2007. In this module you will find out more about the origins of the European integration process and the major treaties that form the legal foundation for the cooperation among its member states.

Learning Objectives

  1. You will learn about the historical context in which the European integration process began.
  2. You will be able to identify the major steps of the European integration process on the interactive timeline. (Source)

Study Guide

  1. Print pdf version of study guide.
  2. Review the major treaties of the European integration process in Chapter 1 Guide for Americans and use the interactive timeline to follow the major steps of the integration process.
  3. Find a photo of Jean Monnet. Sign up on for the EU's Audiovisual services to view images& videos etc.
  4. Read the Robert Schuman Declaration.
  5. Learn about the history of the European Union on BBC’s interactive site Changing Borders.
  6. Learn about the steps of the Enlargement process with the Guardian’s interactive map.