Claudio Giulio Anta

L'Europa di Winston Churchill 

215

Maggio-Agosto 2007

Anno LXXII    n. 2

Summary - Churchill’s interest towards the European unity can be associated to three different periods. The first begins ideally with the publication of the article “The United States of Europe”, issued in February 1930 on «Saturday Evening Post», and ends in 1946, the year of the famous speeches delivered in Fulton and in Zurich; the following is concomitant to the birth of the United Europe Movement (UEM) and of the Council of Europe, when he is part of the opposition; in the end, the third period corresponds to the start of the process of the European integration and to Churchill’s return at Downing Street (1951), after the conclusion of the world war II. From the thirties, the British statesman establishes the line accepted by the governments beyond the English Channel during the second post-war: supporting the cause of the continental unity, but maintaining outside the United Kingdom as a guarantee of its imperial mission. Coherently with the historical tradition of England , he fosters the creation of the Continent; on the one hand, France and Germany should take the lead together; on the other hand, Great Britain , the British Commonwealth of Nations and the United States should be the supporters.