Before the Treaty of Rome (1957) established the European Economic Community (EEC), French officials made it clear that France’s signature on the Treaty was contingent on its partners’ acceptance of Eurafrican policy. Because Algeria held a unique legal status among France’s overseas holdings, the way in which French officials advocated its insertion within EEC regulation merits particular attention. This status stood distinct from that of the associated territories and, when applied to the Treaty, would theoretically extend to Algeria and its residents the guarantees of free labor circulation, development aid, and tariff preferences open to metropolitan citizens through EEC membership. Because French officials hoped to preserve trade relations and sought to quell crises across the empire, they negotiated EEC regulations in a bid to retain control through the continuity of economic and political ties. Eager for France to join the EEC, the other states agreed. Thus, a supranational treaty became a tool with which France could attempt to maintain control over its empire.
This moment in colonial and European relations demonstrates how citizenship rights and multilateral diplomacy were influenced by economic as well as political pressures. It reveals that Europe’s current borders are strikingly less expansive than those envisioned by France and its partners in the early years of European integration.
","abstract_html":"<p>Before the Treaty of Rome (1957) established the European Economic Community (EEC), French officials made it clear that France’s signature on the Treaty was contingent on its partners’ acceptance of Eurafrican policy. Because Algeria held a unique legal status among France’s overseas holdings, the way in which French officials advocated its insertion within EEC regulation merits particular attention. This status stood distinct from that of the associated territories and, when applied to the Treaty, would theoretically extend to Algeria and its residents the guarantees of free labor circulation, development aid, and tariff preferences open to metropolitan citizens through EEC membership. Because French officials hoped to preserve trade relations and sought to quell crises across the empire, they negotiated EEC regulations in a bid to retain control through the continuity of economic and political ties. Eager for France to join the EEC, the other states agreed. Thus, a supranational treaty became a tool with which France could attempt to maintain control over its empire.</p> <p>This moment in colonial and European relations demonstrates how citizenship rights and multilateral diplomacy were influenced by economic as well as political pressures. It reveals<strong> </strong>that Europe’s current borders are strikingly less expansive than those envisioned by France and its partners in the early years of European integration.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Brown, Megan"],"institution":"The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"Doctoral","degree_discipline":"History","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["David Troyansky"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":["Frederick Cooper","Clifford Rosenberg","Todd Shepard","Gary Wilder"],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-06-02T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-06-02T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:30Z","subjects":["European History","France","European Integration","Eurafrica","Algeria","Treaty of Rome","Decolonization"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2076","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["David Troyansky"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Frederick Cooper","Clifford Rosenberg","Todd Shepard","Gary Wilder"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Brown, Megan"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2019-06-02T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["History"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["European History","France","European Integration","Eurafrica","Algeria","Treaty of Rome","Decolonization"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2076"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Before the Treaty of Rome (1957) established the European Economic Community (EEC), French officials made it clear that France’s signature on the Treaty was contingent on its partners’ acceptance of Eurafrican policy. Because Algeria held a unique legal status among France’s overseas holdings, the way in which French officials advocated its insertion within EEC regulation merits particular attention. This status stood distinct from that of the associated territories and, when applied to the Treaty, would theoretically extend to Algeria and its residents the guarantees of free labor circulation, development aid, and tariff preferences open to metropolitan citizens through EEC membership. Because French officials hoped to preserve trade relations and sought to quell crises across the empire, they negotiated EEC regulations in a bid to retain control through the continuity of economic and political ties. Eager for France to join the EEC, the other states agreed. Thus, a supranational treaty became a tool with which France could attempt to maintain control over its empire.
This moment in colonial and European relations demonstrates how citizenship rights and multilateral diplomacy were influenced by economic as well as political pressures. It reveals that Europe’s current borders are strikingly less expansive than those envisioned by France and its partners in the early years of European integration.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A Eurafrican Future: France, Algeria, and the Treaty of Rome (1951-1975)"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["David Troyansky"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Frederick Cooper","Clifford Rosenberg","Todd Shepard","Gary Wilder"],"dc:creator":["Brown, Megan"],"dc:date.available":["2019-06-02T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Before the Treaty of Rome (1957) established the European Economic Community (EEC), French officials made it clear that France’s signature on the Treaty was contingent on its partners’ acceptance of Eurafrican policy. Because Algeria held a unique legal status among France’s overseas holdings, the way in which French officials advocated its insertion within EEC regulation merits particular attention. This status stood distinct from that of the associated territories and, when applied to the Treaty, would theoretically extend to Algeria and its residents the guarantees of free labor circulation, development aid, and tariff preferences open to metropolitan citizens through EEC membership. Because French officials hoped to preserve trade relations and sought to quell crises across the empire, they negotiated EEC regulations in a bid to retain control through the continuity of economic and political ties. Eager for France to join the EEC, the other states agreed. Thus, a supranational treaty became a tool with which France could attempt to maintain control over its empire.
This moment in colonial and European relations demonstrates how citizenship rights and multilateral diplomacy were influenced by economic as well as political pressures. It reveals that Europe’s current borders are strikingly less expansive than those envisioned by France and its partners in the early years of European integration.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2076"],"dc:subject":["European History","France","European Integration","Eurafrica","Algeria","Treaty of Rome","Decolonization"],"dc:title":["A Eurafrican Future: France, Algeria, and the Treaty of Rome (1951-1975)"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["History"],"thesis:degree_level":["Doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:59:30Z"}