Revisiting Alan S. Milward, The European Rescue of the Nation-State

The JCER is an open-access journal published by the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES) in association with the UACES Student Forum.

The JCER invites submissions from scholars who are experts in any subject area delivering analysis that relates to Europe. This includes, but is not limited to, Politics/International Relations, Area Studies, European Integration, Economics, Law, History, Culture and Learning & Teaching. The journal publishes the work of established academics alongside that of PhD students and early career researchers.Abstract:

The European Rescue of the Nation State. Alan Milward’s work has been available in print since the mid to late 1970s, but still remains a classic among European integration theories because it remains one of the most convincing economic explanations of European integration. Despite its shortcomings (the review will talk about the danger of his economic analysis being too one - sided later on) Milward’s work is still one of the most important contributions to European Studies, because it gives a comprehensive explanation of European integration, which is a rare find.

Its continued longevity, coupled with the many challenges facing the European integration project, mean it is time both to refresh our memory of it and reiterate some of the most pertinent criticisms of this book.