Pax Europaea

Historic enlargement of the EU and its predecessors. Click once to enlarge. Click enlargement for time-lapse animation.

Pax Europaea (English: the European peace – from the historic Pax Romana), is the period of relative peace experienced by Europe in the period following World War II—often associated above all with the creation of the European Union (EU) and its predecessors.^[1] After the Cold War this peace was even more evident because of the fall of political tensions, with the major exception of most of the former Yugoslavia.

Transatlantic cooperation and European integration was designed to maintain the fragile peace that was created in Europe. With the continent consistently falling into war over the past centuries the creation of the European Communities in the 1950s set to integrate its members to such an extent that war between them would be impossible. These Communities, and other organisations including NATO expanded to cover most of Western Europe, Northern Europe and Southern Europe. Although Central and Eastern Europe remained under Soviet influence, they too experienced little conflict, with the exception of internal repression, until the 1990s when a series of wars in Yugoslavia broke out as the country disintegrated. The EU structures were criticised for its inability to prevent the conflict, though the zone is now within its sphere of enlargement.

The EU now comprises 28 countries with majority of European non-member states seeking membership (twelve countries joined the EU in 2000s). In addition to that, most countries which remain outside are tied to the EU by economic agreements and treaties such as the European Economic Area. Within the zone of integration, there has been no conflict since 1945, making it the longest period of peace on the western European mainland since Pax Romana.

The European Union was awarded the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its efforts to maintain and actively foster peace within its borders as well as internationally through diplomatic means.

However, there were many wars in Europe during that time, and European countries remained warlike, especially with regard to former colonies.

List of wars in Europe during the post-WW2 period:

• Greek Civil War (Greece)
• Basque Conflict (Spain and France)
• The Troubles (UK and Ireland)
• Invasion of Czechoslovakia (USSR)
• Ten-Day War (Slovenia vs. Yugoslavia)
• Croatian War of Independence (Croatia vs. Yugoslavia)
• Georgian Civil War
• East Prigorodny Conflict (North Ossetia vs. Russia)
• War of Transnistria (Transnitria vs. Moldavia)
• Bosnian War (Bosnia vs. Yugoslavia)
• Albanian Rebellion
• First Chechen War
• War of Dagestan
• Second Chechen War

Wars waged by European countries during the post-WW2 period:

• Suez Crisis (UK and France)
• Ifni War (France and Spain)
• Bizerte crisis (France)
• Angolan War of Independence (Portugal)
• Dhofar Rebellion (UK)
• Mozambican War of Independence (Portugal)
• Shaba I and II (France and Belgium)
• Falklands War (UK)
• Afghanistan War
• Iraq War

See also

• Member state of the European Union
• European integration
• Enlargement of the European Union

• Future enlargement of the European Union

References

v t e Foreign relations of the European Union   Bilateral relations Africa & the Middle East Cape Verde Iran Iraq Israel Jordan Lebanon Morocco Palestine† South Africa Syria Yemen Americas Argentina Brazil Canada Cuba Greenland Mexico United States Asia-Pacific Australia China (People's Republic of) Fiji India Indonesia Japan Nepal North Korea Pakistan Philippines South Korea Europe & Central Asia Albania Andorra Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Bosnia and Herzegovina Faroe Islands Georgia Iceland Kazakhstan Kosovo† Liechtenstein Macedonia‡ Moldova Monaco Montenegro Northern Cyprus (Turkish Republic of)† Norway Russia San Marino Serbia Switzerland Turkey Ukraine Vatican City General Member's overseas territories Largest trading partners Association agreements Free trade agreements †= Disputed state, may not be recognised as an independent state by some or all European Union members. ‡= Name disputed by Greece, EU recognises the Republic of Macedonia as the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.   Multilateral relations and initiatives Organisations Arab League ASEAN ECHR G8 ICC United Nations Initiatives African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States Asia–Europe Meeting CARIFORUM Customs Union Eastern Partnership Energy Community Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly European Common Aviation Area European Economic Area Euro-Mediterranean free trade area Euro-Mediterranean Partnership Euronest Economic Partnership Agreements Neighbourhood Policy Northern Dimension Mediterranean Union Stabilisation and Association Process   Organisation Policy Common Foreign and Security Policy Economic Relations Everything but Arms Security and Defence Policy Enlargement Actors ECHO EuropeAid External Action Service Foreign Affairs Council High Representative Catherine Ashton Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee Foreign Policy Instruments Service Diplomatic missions of the EU / to the EU Ambassadors Special Representatives   Military and security Initiatives Defence Initiative Synchronised Armed Forces Defence Procurement Petersberg tasks Helsinki Headline Goal Structures Political and Security Committee Military Committee Military Staff Operations Centre Security & Defence College Defence Agency Institute for Security Studies Satellite Centre Joint Situation Centre Forces European Union Force Eurofor Eurocorps EU Battlegroup EU Gendarmerie Force EU Maritime Force Deployments

v t e Periods of relative peace Contemporary Pax Americana Pax Europaea Pax Sinica Pax Praetoriana Historical Pax Aegyptiaca Pax Sumerica Pax Minoica Pax Assyriaca Pax Sinica Pax Romana Pax Islamica Pax Khazarica Pax Dei Pax Mongolica Pax Hispanica Pax Ottomana Pax Britannica Pax Syriana Pax Sovietica Fictional Pax Germanica