November 1922

Creation of the Pan-Europa movement

In November 1922, the Austrian Richard Coudenhove-Kalergi published the proclamation 'Paneuropa, ein Vorschlag', in which he put forward the idea of a pan-European union which would restore the old continent to its former standing in the world. He continued in this vein, publishing a book-manifesto in 1923 entitled 'Pan-Europa' (which gave its name to a monthly magazine). Coudenhove-Kalergi, certain that reconciliation between France and Germany was essential to maintaining peace, suggested combining German coal with French ore to create a pan-European iron and steel industry. Developing this idea, Coudenhove-Kalergi went on to envisage an eventual customs union that would make possible the establishment of the United States of Europe, a kind of European confederation respecting the sovereignty of the individual states but endowed with common institutions and citizenship, a European currency and a military alliance.