Jean Monnet and Canada

'Insightful and beautifully written, Jean Monnet and Canada advances an intriguing argument on whether Jean Monnet's visits to Canada helped shape his role as a pragmatic visionary and an architect of postwar Europe. Until now, little research has been done on how Monnet's work with the European Coal and Steel Community was influenced by his early career. Trygve Ugland has clearly combed the literature on the subject, and does an excellent job going beyond the written record to learn how Monnet may have experienced the energy and opportunities exhibited in North America.' -- Steve Wolinetz, Department of Political Science, Memorial University 'Jean Monnet and Canada is a welcome addition to existing literature on Jean Monnet, arguably the most important person among the founding fathers of the European Communities, now the European Union. Trygve Ugland's extensive research in a number of archives explores the Canadian dimension of Monnet's life, from his trips to Canada his early years to the way he was inspired by the spirit of the country.' -- Finn Laursen, Canada Research Chair and ad personam Jean Monnet Chair of European Union Studies, Dalhousie University

Trygve Ugland's Jean Monnet and Canada argues that the extensive period of time Monnet spent in Canada between 1907 and 1914 had a formative influence on the achievements of his later years, particularly on the institutional 'construction of Europe.'

Jean Monnet (1888-1979) is often viewed as the chief architect of the European Coal and Steel Community, which over time evolved into today's European Union. Monnet spent his early years working as an agent for his father, a cognac producer. It was this experience that took him to Scandinavia, England, the United States, and most importantly Canada, where he was exposed to the country's unique form of federalism.

Drawing on a wide variety of empirical sources, including unpublished documents, correspondence, and original historical data extracted from archives both in Canada and Europe, Trygve Ugland's Jean Monnet and Canada argues that the extensive period of time Monnet spent in Canada between 1907 and 1914 had a formative influence on the achievements of his later years, particularly on the institutional 'construction of Europe.'