eunion1-2, Exercise 3: 1954 against 1957

Model answer:

The Defence Community failed in August 1954 when the French National Assembly refused to ratify it. The reasons included fear of German rearmament, objection to giving up control of the French army, and disagreement across the political spectrum. It touched the core symbol of national sovereignty: an army.

The Treaties of Rome succeeded in 1957 because they returned to economics: a common market and customs union, a practical and limited step that most governments could accept.

This suggests the Union grows through practical, limited steps, and stalls when it touches the central symbols of national sovereignty.