This work investigates the origins and developmental trajectory of the movement toward European unification following the Second World War. Walter Lipgens, a prominent historian of European integration, utilizes extensive archival research to document the intellectual and political foundations of the movement. The text provides a rigorous analysis of the transition from wartime resistance movements to the formal establishment of early European institutions.

Scholars and historians frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the ideological roots of the European Union. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is tailored for researchers and students of political history.