[jambutty]

Originally Posted by blazey

OK well I will accept your view, but according to my EU law text book it was pushed forward because of the reasons I stated, though of course the idea to unify Europe was toyed with long before WWII by people such as William Penn in the 17th Century.

Whether you agree with that view or not, it is still a suggested reason by academics and a very valid one in my opinion. WE didn't go to war because of those reasons, but generally it is accepted that there was economic strains between the countries which led to Hitler's ideology and governance in the first place. Had there been no economic problems, perhaps things may have been different.

I do not question the chauvinism, as that is also another element which is mentioned in academia, but it wasn't the element that I personally see as the reason for staying within the EU now in this present day.

Methinks that someone has been trying to re-write history to try and put Germany in a better light. Go and read the REAL history of Germany.

When Hitler became Chancellor in 1933 Germany was in an economic mess, with inflation running riot at several thousand percent PER DAY. One Million Mark notes were the norm and stamps of the day showed several million marks. Workers would demand their wages two or three times a day because by the time they got the money to the few shops that had something to sell the value had dropped drastically. Some businesses had to eventually resort to offering the goods that they made to their workers rather than actual cash wages.

Hitler turned things around and after becoming the Führer in 1934 set about realising his dream of dominating Europe and expanding the Aryan race. WWII was about grabbing land for the Fatherland and absolutely nothing to do with economic competition between European countries.