‘Oost-Europeesche kwesties’ of ‘Atlantisch Europa': Europese veiligheid door de ogen van ballingschapsregeringen in Londen, 1939-1943

Abstract

This article explores how representatives of various European governments-in-exile in London contemplated the post-war order of the European continent during the Second World War. Under the pressures of war and life in exile, new contacts were made and new forums emerged, facilitating discussion among the exiles. Central and Eastern European representatives played a significant role as initiators of these debates. Two distinct ideas of European cooperation gradually crystallized, which viewed European security from different angles: one driven by economic considerations, and another by geopolitical concerns. By following the relevant actors and tracing the development of such ideas, this article integrates these various perspectives into a transnational history of exile, and illustrates, with an eye on post-war European integration, the pivotal decisions regarding the ‘European project’ that had already been taken during the Second World War.