On Sunday, Europe marked the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the historic agreement that established such bodies as the European Parliament and the Court of Justice.
Primarily, the document signed on March 25, 1957, was an economic deal, melding the six signatory nations -- France, Germany (or West Germany in those days), Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands -- into a free-trade zone.
It was no small accomplishment, particularly in light of the more-than-strained relations that were very much the rule among these countries 50 years prior to the deal. The first and second world wars were catastrophic conflicts, with much of the fighting in Europe occurring between France and Germany. Those conflagrations were reflected in the preceding centuries as well.