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!-- E IBYL --> The European Union claims it has secured peace among historical enemies, spread democracy to its neighbours and created a new model of international co-operation. But none of that was pre-ordained. The milestones of the past 50 years tell a story of bitter national rivalries, personality clashes and tortured compromises which have threatened the project's survival more than once and may do so again in the coming years. Churchill saw European unity as a means of breaking the cycle of conflict Winston Churchill, Britain's wartime leader, called postwar Europe "a rubble heap, a charnel-house, a breeding-ground...

Franco-German textbook launched French President Jacques Chirac and former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. File photo Mr Chirac and Mr Schroeder backed the project in 2003 The first joint French-German history textbook is to be unveiled in France. The book, by French and German authors, covers recent history since 1945 - the year when World War II ended. It is the world's first joint manual on the sensitive subject that is often viewed differently by neighbouring states in some parts of the worlds. In 2005, China was hit by anti-Japanese rallies following Tokyo's approval of schoolbooks which critics said whitewashed its...

France is threatening to unite with Germany to maintain their influence in an enlarged European Union and strengthen their common front against the United States, according to reports yesterday. Foreign minister Dominique de Villepin was quoted by Le Monde speaking explicitly about "Franco-German union" and to have called the further deepening of ties between the countries "the one historic challenge we cannot lose". Le Monde gave most of its first three pages to reports on the proposed union, noting that it was an idea whose time might have come. Pascal Lamy, one of France's EU commissioners, spoke enthusiastically of the...

US scorns new moves to stop the war on Iraq Powell rejects Franco-German plan; Inspectors see signs of 'progress' By Andrew Buncombe in Washington, Tony Paterson in Munich and Stephen Castle in Brussels 10 February 2003 America poured scorn on a new plan for Iraq proposed by France and Germany as a way of averting war last night, deepening the rift with its reluctant European allies. Colin Powell, the US Secretary of State, dismissed proposals for tripling the number of inspectors, backed by armed UN peace-keepers, as a "distraction, not a solution". The Americans are already furious with France and...