Campus: Paris/London/Turin

Bachelor in Management

Course: International Relations and European & World History

Course Code: IR11

Date: 7/12/2022
Time: 12:00 (London) 13:00 (Paris, Turin)
Exam type: Final Exam – Closed book
Examiner: Prof. Abtan, Bohnekamp, Buranyi, Doutriaux, Furno, Godbert,
Lefebvre, Leigh, Mingarelli, Pinot, Valigi
Instructions Time allowed: 2 hours.
This examination paper consists of 2 printed pages including the title
page.
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 START OF EXAMINATION PAPER
Answer 2 of the 3 following questions.

(Marking: The exam is graded out of 20 points. Each question is marked out of 9
points. 2 additional points are used to assess the quality of the script: style, grammar,
orthography and presentation. Indicative length for each answer: 500-700 words).

1. Do you agree that the US was a key driver of European integration after
WW2? Explain your arguments.

The US was a key driver of European integration after World War 2. European
integration was a major event in the world’s history, during the 1950’s as it served as
a stepping stone for the world we know today. The US’s presence in the process of
US european integration is prominent due to its factors such as NATO, the Marshall
Plan, the German question etc. Despite the involvement in direct events, the US was
a key driver because of the help it provided to make those countries functioning. It
was a key driver on the bigger picture rather than literally in each determining event
such as the OEEC, ECSC, and the Schuman Plan. Essentially, the US’s involvement
allowed for the dynamics of the countries to be able to establish functioning
economic integration.
The US’s Marshall Plan allowed for a change in the economy. After the
second world war, ending in 1945, the US introduced a plan that would provide
economic aids for western countries affected by WW2. Such events show the
economic prominence that the United States had on the western world. The Marhsall
Plan allowed for countries such as Britain, who had deep war debts, to help pay them
off and continue their colonial rule. As helpful as these aids were, that further
increased the US’s power as they were put in a state of egemony by the rest of the
countries. Being in a good financial status, they had a global dominance. The
Organization of European Economic Cooperation, in 1950, was somewhat made
possible because of them, because of the support that they gave to the western
countries.
The NATO formation in 1949, was an important factor in full European
integration as it created an alliance between the western countries, which would
allow them to proceed with the agreements leading to the ECSC and OEEC. In 1948,
as the treaty of Bruxelles was signed, that declared the start of the process of
European integration which would then lead to the acheivement of free trade area,
customs union, common market, economic union and eventually full economic
integration. The US involvement in the Organization of European Economic
Cooperation describes the key driver of European integration. Although, that was
achieved throught the introduction of the Europe Coal and Steel community, which
meant that the states had common suppliers of coal and steel. The Schuman plan,
introduced by Jean Monnet and Schuman was about uniting the industrilization of
Europe. Such events allowed for the final phases of European integration, meaning
the stagnation of the 1970’s and 1980’s.
The German Question also played a big role in the intergation of europe. The
German question revolved around deciding what Germany was going to become
after world war 2. The US was interested in asserting further its ideologies,
capitalism, hence its interest in west Germany. It is interesting to see how the
seperation symbolizes greatly the bipolar system which was quite prominent at the
time. The US’s take on the German Question marked for further European integration
as it ended up being involved in European affairs. Its implications in such big
decisions (what was Germany going to become), laid the foundation for its
prominence in European integration.

2. Discuss critically if the Third World States have achieved political and
economic independence since decolonization.

Political and economic independence since decolonization is the self determination of

a country, whereby the decision of where one country stands in the international
system, something that third world countries now have. The independent production
of goods which can be exported and contirbute to the increase of a country’s GDP.
Although independence is achieved, the colonial rule was present in history and
there are some cultural aspects that are bound to remain nontheless.
The Third World States’ initial goal was the achievement of emancipation of
the working class as the colonial rule represented violence and economic
exploitation. Through various declines of their economies they managed to all have
an increase of GDP through extermely conservative finance and export strategies.
Looking at the Asian Miracle, Korea and Taiwan, Manchuria, of some of the
developmental states, it is seen that despite their initially low GDP they manage to
achieve great economic gains. Although these may be considered ‘miracles’, they all
have common denominators being; its current economic independence, and the
strategies used to achieve their eocnomic evolution. Korea’s GDP was comparable to
the poorest countries of Africa and Asia, and through closed governments, which
allowed for political continuity, and export strategies Korea’s economy is significant is
the modern world.
Decolonization in Asia and in Africa was a period of dismantling colonialism
and obtaining the emancipation of the working class. The second world war allowed
for decolonization to occur for a variety of reasons; the weakening of the European
empire, the USSR and US’s challenge to the empires, and the external and internal
pressure for the dismantling of colonialism. These factors let to the decolonization of
third world countries, although for the main European empires (being Britain,
Portugal, France) that meant a loss of resources and access to raw material, hence
further economic damage. A big factor in the pacificity of the decolonization (which
contribute to future diplomatic relations and alliances), was the resources that the
colonized country would give them. For example, after world war 2, Britain was
struggling to pay off war debts which made it difficult to ignore India’s demands for
independence. It was agreed that there would be a exchange where, Britain allows
for the dismantling of the colonial rule ine exchange for India’s military services. That
represents a peaceful decolonization which allowed for good diplomatic relations and
a more easily obtained political and economic independence. In Malaysia on the
other hand, Britain was determined to keep their empire as their resources, rubber
and tin, provided great economic gains for Britain. That led to more violent
decolonization and leads to more difficulty in achieving economic and political
independence.When observing decolonization in Africa, the types different of
decolonizations, Peaceful decolonzation, violent, and anti-appartheid decolonization,
also affected the future states of the contry’s independence. As the European
empires had already lost possesions in Asia, there was more difficulty involved for
the emancipation of countries in Africa. As the rubber and tin production, and
exportation intensified, there was a more prominent presence of the colonial ruling in
Africa. The European empire ‘disguising’ their colonial ruling, which involved a great
deal of violence exploitation and famine, as a ‘civilizing mission’ was a way of
remaining within the international system without a bad reputation. Although these
empires allowed for violence and exploitation, these colonial rule also allowed for
civilizationa dn industrilization which can be said that it acted as a stepping stone for
the achievement of independence.
A question to ask ourselves may be whether economic and political
independence was bound to happen as the end of world war 2 signified a period of
change, hence the independe of third world states ‘happened’ to occur
simultaneously as the decolonization or whether, decolonization was the main reason
for these states achieving independence.

END OF EXAMINATION PAPER