1951 年歐洲首次在沒有流血戰爭的狀態中開始進行和平統合，此有別於歐洲歷史紛亂與戰爭的常態。從戰後、歐洲開始統合、歷經德國統一及蘇聯共產主義集團瓦解兩大地緣政治鉅變，到 2007 年歐盟最近一次擴大至今， 統合過程中，歐洲國家之間及其與美國及俄羅斯(蘇聯)的權力互動關係，以及各強權與歐洲地理空間的互動關係對歐洲統合產生重大的影響與不同的地緣政治意涵。

第二次世界大戰後，歐洲國家處於美蘇對峙複雜的權力互動關係中，資源統合、採取共同立場(common position)與聯合行動(joint action)等模式，成為歐洲國家最佳的權力互動模式。然而，不論歐洲統合的程度為何，六十多年來歐洲國家之間的政治地理邊界因國家護衛其個別利益，依舊存在。歐洲國家對歐洲統合的期待除了經濟統合利益外，會員國的政治意圖也是統合過程中一股不容忽視的推動力。歐洲的權力互動關係對歐洲統合的影響至為關鍵，為此，本文採古典地緣政治學理論的研究途徑，以「空間或地理因素對人類或國家行為如何影響」為核心論述，從歐洲歷史巨觀的角度，進行歐洲統合的國際關係研究。

The integration of Europe began in 1951. Within the process of integration, there were three dimensions of power interactions: the interaction among European states, the interaction among America, Russia (Soviet Union), and European states, and the interaction between great powers and the European geographical space. From the beginning of the European integration, the unification of Germany and the collapse of the Russian communist bloc, and to the latest expansion of EU, the geopolitical changes had important impacts and signified different geopolitical meanings for Europe.

Under these complicated power interactions, the European states affirmed that the best mode of their power interaction was to integrate their resources, and undertake common positions and joint actions. But no matter how deep or wide the European integration was, the political boundaries among European states still existed to protect their national interests. Except for the interests of economic integration, the political intentions of the EU member states also gave an important impetus to integrate. Therefore, power interactions were the key elements to affect the European integration. This article is at the core of “the study of international relations from a spatial or geographic perspective.” It tries to trace back in a macro- historical view and uses the classical geopolitical approach to discuss international relations of the European integration.