AS FINANCIAL WARFARE, ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AND EURASIAN GEOPOLITICS THE ROOTS OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION IN THE UNITED STATES GEOSTRATEGY OF CONTAINING SOVIET COMMUNISM IN THE EARLY COLD WAR (1947-53)

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the roots of the process of Europe´s integration, occurred in the second half of the 20^th century, within the reconstruction of the post-war international order under the indisputable leadership of the United States. For this purpose, a historical-deductive methodology was adopted based on bibliographic review on the theme and the historical period considered. The investigation revealed that, in its very origins, the European integration resulted from a historical convergence between European leaders’ interests in promoting reconciliation between their countries, specially France and Germany, controlling the latter through integrated Europe, with U.S. interests in rebuilding European countries under its influence with a view to strengthening its position in face of Soviet communism´s advance. Nevertheless, we conclude that, despite pre-existing intentions and plans of integration, particularly by the French, the U.S. geostrategy at the beginning of the Cold War was the decisive element that enabled its first initiatives, since in such context only the western superpower assembled the needed material, financial and political resources to make it feasible.