Looking eastward, in 'The international history of European integration in the long 1970s : a round-table discussion on research issues, methodologies, and directions

Abstract

This article argues in favour of connecting historiographical research on European integration in the 1970s with historical research on the Cold War, for the bipolar structure significantly affected the relations between the EC and the socialist countries all along the Cold War years. Reversing the link, Cold War historians should take into higher consideration the external dimension of the integration process and the EC’s own international role, particularly when it comes to continental relations and attempts at overcoming the divide in Europe. The article offers a review of the state of the art in both fields and their conjunction, its intellectual make-up, methodological range, and potential developments.