The rise of a great power: starting with military industry

Chapter 962 Difficulties Facing European Integration

Since the European integration process was officially launched in the 50s, it has achieved remarkable and great achievements.

On the one hand, the number of member states continues to increase and the process of integration and expansion continues. On the other hand, the difficulties and resistance of European integration continue to emerge.

To be honest, the European integration movement is a great innovation.

Most scholars around the world believe that despite the resistance and difficulties faced by European integration and despite the crises it may encounter, there is reason to firmly believe that the road is tortuous but the prospects are bright. As long as the European political elites have the determination to hold on to the green mountains and not let go, and as long as the European people have the perseverance to stay true to their original aspirations, unite and protect, be good at compromise, and have the courage to explore, European integration will surely be realized.

Even Liu Tao had to admit that European integration was generally positive and beneficial to the prosperity of European countries and the stability of the world situation, and was conducive to the multipolarization of the world that China had been striving for.

Even more, European integration can promote the formation of a multipolar world pattern!
For China, most EU countries are developed countries with high per capita consumption levels. It is a very important market. China needs this huge market. As long as China signs a trade agreement with the EU, it will apply to all member states.

This is an economic account, and it is easy to calculate.

As for the political aspect, EU integration can restrain the Eagle Sauce and the Polar Bear to a certain extent. As long as the EU is strong and integrated, the Eagle Sauce and the Polar Bear will inevitably continue to increase their energy investment in Europe and ease the pressure on China from both sides.

To be honest, China and Europe are thousands of miles apart and there is no land separating them. In a sense, they are natural allies. The two sides can only engage in a war of words and curse at each other.

But it is different from Eagle Sauce and Polar Bear.

It is accurate to say that Europe and the United States are in the same boat, because Europeans are not stupid. The purpose of establishing the European Union is to serve the interests of Europe, not to be a spokesperson for American interests.

However, the optimism of most scholars about European integration is actually based on the EU, but they forget the biggest factor - the United States!
After World War II, the Americans became the biggest winners, stationing troops in various European countries without hesitation. The establishment of NATO made the United States the leader of the West. However, this leader was not soft-hearted towards Britain and France, and joined hands with the Soviet Union to dismember the British and French colonies, causing the huge British and French colonial system to collapse, making it difficult to recover quickly from the huge colonies like after World War I.

When the colonial system collapsed, it was not just Britain and France that lost a large number of colonies. Many European countries that originally had colonies also lost their colonies.

This made the European powers become history.

Up to now, most of the European powers in history have become countries with average military power, and their status in the world has declined significantly.

Americans absolutely do not allow European integration. If Europe is truly integrated, Europe will be no less powerful than the United States in terms of economy, politics, military, and technology. In that case, is it necessary for the United States to station troops in Europe? Can the United States still be the leader of the West?
impossible!
Not to mention the true integration of Europe in the future, even the EU is very nervous now.

Ever since the polar bears were divided into two major camps, the reformists and conservatives, the polar bears have eased their relations with Europe, and have supplied large amounts of energy to Europe every year, thereby earning a lot of foreign exchange to improve people's livelihood. The military pressure in Europe has been greatly relieved, and there are now constant voices calling for a veto of NATO.

Now that the Warsaw Pact is gone, what is the point of NATO?

The necessity of NATO's existence has been greatly questioned in Europe.

The United States was slapped in Somalia. Who in the world is dancing the most happily?
Europe!

Europe is gloating, and the media is constantly questioning the United States and complaining about the combat effectiveness of the US military. In the Gulf War, the United States showed great strength, but the large number of casualties did not establish its prestige, or its prestige was limited.

While the United States is wholeheartedly pursuing rapid economic development and continuously cutting military spending, it actually has many means at its disposal for Europe.

Those who should be sanctioned are sanctioned, and those who should be criticized are criticized.

Liu Tao said: "The situation in the Balkans is not very good right now. Perhaps the day the EU launches the euro will be the day when war breaks out in the Balkans."

The Balkan Peninsula is one of the three major peninsulas in southern Europe. It is located in the eastern part of southern Europe, bordering the Adriatic Sea to the west, the Black Sea to the east, the Ionian Sea (a bay of the Mediterranean Sea) and the Aegean Sea to the south, and across the Black Sea from Asia to the southeast. It is bounded by the Danube and Sava rivers to the north and extends to Trieste in the west.

The entire Balkan Peninsula is located between the three continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. It is a land bridge connecting Europe and Asia. It is adjacent to the important Mediterranean shipping route in the south, and the Bosphorus and Dardanelles Straits in the east are the throat of the Black Sea. Its geographical location is extremely important.

Throughout history, Europe has seen many wars break out in the Balkan Peninsula.

After the 2nd century BC, the Balkan Peninsula was ruled by the Roman, Byzantine, Albanian, and Ottoman Empires. From the 4th to the 7th century AD, the Huns, Avars, Lombards, Bulgarians, Romans, and Slavic peoples fought fiercely for the right to rule the peninsula. The Ottoman Empire ruled for more than 500 years.

From the early 19th century, Tsarist Russia was eager to open a passage to the Mediterranean Sea, the Austrian Empire attempted to expand southward to the Adriatic Sea, and Britain and France wanted to protect the lifeline of transportation to the Indian Ocean and the Far East. As a result, the Balkan Peninsula became a region fiercely contested by Russia, Austria, Britain and France, with many wars breaking out and it was known as the "powder keg of Europe."

主要战争有1828~1829年和1877~1878年两次俄土战争，1912~1913年和1913年两次巴尔干战争。

The war intensified the confrontation among the countries on the peninsula and the contradictions between the great powers. As a result, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, the heir of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in Sarajevo in 1914 served as the fuse that triggered the outbreak of the First World War.

During World War II, the Balkan Peninsula was also a key area of ​​contention between the two camps.

It can be said that as long as the war breaks out in the Balkans, Europe will be unstable and will suffer a severe blow.

Moreover, Europe is not only facing the risk of war in the Balkan Peninsula. Liu Tao directly mentioned Africa, which is located in the south of Europe: "Don't forget, the war in Africa has never stopped. The situation is out of control and the war is spreading. The French can no longer hold on in Africa. It is only a matter of time before they are squeezed out of Africa. In addition, European countries with interests of varying sizes in Africa are bound to suffer considerable losses in Africa."

The war in Africa has now spread to seven countries, with fighting between government forces and opposition forces, fighting between warlords, and fighting between tribes happening every day.

In war-torn areas, human life seems to be the least valuable. Large numbers of people die every day and the original order is destroyed by war.

It is difficult to build, but quite easy to destroy.

No matter how well built a country is, a war can destroy decades of construction.

(End of this chapter)