Something about ... Founding fathers of the U.E.

The historical line of the European Union lies in the Second World War. Europeans are strong-minded to avoid such killing and devastation ever happening once more. Soon after the war, Europe is split into East and west as the 40-years-long Cold War begins. West European nations form the council of Europe in 1949, established by the Treaty of London signed by ten states: Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
In 1951, based on Shuman plan, a plan with the proposal on the creation of an structured Europe, requisite to the preservation of peaceful relations, six countries (Germany, France, Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg) signed a treaty to run their heavy industries (coal and steel) under a common supervision. In this way none of them could its own make the weapons of war to turn against the other, as in the past. One of the heads of this treaty was Robert Shuman, a politician and qualified lawyer and the French Foreign Minister (1948-52). In cooperation with Jean Monet, the top advisor of the French Government, and after recognising that only a lasting reconciliation with Germany could form the basis for a united Europe, They purposed mutual control of coal and steel production, the most important materials for the armaments industry. Alcide de Gasperi, in his roles as Prime Minister and Minister of foreign Affairs, supported the Shuman Plan and helped develop the idea of the common European defence policy.
After the liberation of Belgium, in 1944, Paul Henri Spaak joined the Belgium Government and served both as Foreign Minister and Prime Minister. Spaak had already formulated plans for a unification of the Benelux countries during the Second World War, and after that he promoted for the unification of Europe, supporting the European steel and coal Community and a European defence community. He was confident that the most effective means of guaranteeing peace and stability was by joining countries through compulsory treaty obligations and he reached these goals as president of the first full meeting of the United Nations, in 1946, and as General Secretary of NATO (1957-61).Konrad Adenauer, the first chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, realised far-reaching foreign policy goals to bind Germany within the western alliance as membership of the Council of Europe, in 1951; foundation of the European Coal and Steel Community, in 1952, and Germany’s enter into NATO, in 1955.