Winston Churchill’s Policy towards a Council of Europe during the Second World War

Abstract

As a British Prime Minister (1940-1945) Winstun Churchill dedicated much of his efforts to the formation of a special european organisation, called "Council of Europe". A suprising  direction of his policy, this was a result of the intensified propaganda of Hitler's Germany for Nazi dominated United Europe and of the Roosvelt-Stalin intention to nullify the European influence in the world. Because of his beliefs in national sovereignity Churchill was antagonist also to the Resistance's ideas for a European Supra-national Federation. Making use of the Foreign Office plans for European confederation he suggested that the Council of Europe be an organisation of 12 states and confederation, each with one representative in it. The Council of Europe is a subordinat of the Supreme World Council whose main porpese was to be preserving the peace after the war. Between 1942 and 1944 these ideas were excpressed in several memorandums, a speech and one very importent conversation with the Americans but they had no chance to come true because of the desisive Russian (and American) rejection. Nevertheless in Tehran and Dumbarton Oakes Churchill made some desporet efforts to convince thi war-time partners that it would be in favour of the peace if Europe was united. Thus Churchill hinted at his future europanist activity and the real formation of the Council of Europe in 1949 which made him one of the fathers of the European idea.