The European Union
The European Union is a political and economic union of European countries, begun as a way to prevent war through trade.
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The European Union is a political and economic union of European countries, begun as a way to prevent war through trade.
- The Treaty of Rome in 1957
- A single market allows free movement
- Brexit saw the UK leave in 2020
🧠 Quick quiz
Three questions. Score 2 or more to complete the topic.
What is The European Union?
Within History, which covers ancient civilisations, empires, revolutions, world wars and the making of the modern world, this topic explains The European Union. History topics connect events, people and ideas across time, so each one here gives a clear summary and a way to test your understanding.
Check that you can explain The European Union in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.
Understanding The European Union helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
The European Union in detail
The European Union grew from efforts after World War Two to prevent further wars by linking countries economically. The European Coal and Steel Community (1951) was followed by the European Economic Community (1957) under the Treaty of Rome, and it expanded to the EU in 1993 with the Maastricht Treaty.
The EU has a single market with free movement of goods, services, people and capital, and many members share the euro. It has institutions such as the Commission and Parliament. Supporters value peace, trade and cooperation, while critics point to loss of sovereignty and bureaucracy. In 2016, the UK voted to leave in the Brexit referendum, and left in 2020.
How the interactive helps you understand The European Union
Watch the network in the interactive. Use any sliders or buttons it offers to change the values and see how the network responds.
Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of The European Union.
Real-life uses and examples
- Judge how important The European Union was by weighing evidence from more than one source.
- Explain the causes and consequences of The European Union in a well-structured paragraph.
- Compare The European Union with another event to spot patterns of change and continuity.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating one source as the whole story when you study The European Union.
- Describing events without explaining why they happened.
- Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.
Frequently asked questions about The European Union
What is The European Union?
The European Union is a political and economic union of European countries, begun as a way to prevent war through trade.
What are the most important points about The European Union?
The main points are: The Treaty of Rome in 1957; A single market allows free movement; Brexit saw the UK leave in 2020.
Why is The European Union useful?
Understanding The European Union helps you explain change over time and judge why events happened, which is the core skill in history essays.
How can I practise The European Union?
Open the interactive at the top of this page and change the controls one at a time. Predict the result before each change, then take the three-question quiz. A score of two or more marks the topic as complete on this device.
Which topics are related to The European Union?
Related topics in History include The History of Medicine, Famous Explorers and Inventors, Bias and Interpretation.