ping their economic structures, and they are also faced with the possibility of becoming a unified political entity. This raises questions as to the military alliances that will be useful in the 1990s and beyond. Europe now faces a future where any military threat remains unknown at this time, yet it is also a future as fraught with dangers as it is with opportunities.
Ahlstrom points out that the move toward the European Community was spurred by economic need as Europe found herself unable to compete economically with Japan and the United States. The move started in earnest in 1985, aspiring to full economic integration by the end of 1992. The intention was to develop a Europe without frontiers, one without physical, fiscal, or technical barriers to trade, and the overall goal is true economic cohesion, common levels of tax and excise duties, and the free circulation of capital, people, and services across national boundaries. However, the issue goes beyond trade and beyond economic integration to involve issues of defense. A consensus was bu
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