The history of the European Community/European Union's (EC/EU) development is a narrative of crises generated and resolved. To date, the resolution of crises in community affairs has furthered European integration. The characteristic pattern of integration is dialectical-two steps forward and one step back-with crises both accounting for the steps backward and forward. This book examines why the crises were constructively resolved, rather than the often explored how of the resolutions.<br /><br />This work contends that European myths, which emerged from Europe's cataclysmic experiences in World War I and II, cement the member states within the EC/EU, and lead to greater social, economic, and political integration with the EC/EU. During the periodic crises, the European myths have eliminated every choice except the choice to move European integration forward. Professor Sam-Sang Jo's analysis argues that once the European myths weaken, the tensions among EU member states are likely to escalate.