La apuesta de los Estados Unidos por la unidad europea en el marco del Plan Marshall. El apoyo norteamericano y la obstrucción británica en el umbral de la integración europea (1947-1951)

Abstract

Recently, support for European integration has declined in the United States and is openly disputed today. However, for a long time, it was a priority interest of US foreign policy. This paper addresses the US effort to promote the integration of European economies and the establishment of supranational institutions within the framework of the European Recovery Program, known as the Marshall Plan. We also include, because it is an extension of this policy, the position of the US government on the Schuman Plan. The State Department’s emphasis on European integration in this period is hard to overstate and is surprising because of its persistence and the ability to redefine itself over and over again after every initiative frustrated by European reluctance. This article seeks to study this effort in depth, to assess the extent to which it was decisive and what were the causes that prevented the realization of the North American plans as they were initially defined in the framework of the Marshall.