After two devastating World Wars in one generation, the nations in Europe thought it was time for a change. There was no place anymore for suspiciousness against each other and certainly not for nationalism and patriotism, which caused so many dilemmas in the past. After World War II there was still great suspiciousness against Germany. France wanted to keep Germany under control of the Allied Forces. France wanted to put Germany's coal and steel production under supranational power in case Germany would use the production of coal and steel for war purposes again. Some Europeans hoped that...
after the Second World War. The individual countries in Europe view economic and political cooperation as important aspects to increase future prosperity and to avoid all forms of aggression against each other, which have left their bitter wounds in the history of Europe. The European nations have, out of their own will, given away their national power and sovereignty to a supranational power and have obliged themselves to accept EU law and regulations, which in turn have priority over the national laws of the Member States. This is what makes the European Union such an unique international organization.