Recent years have been witnessing a complex series of negotiations to reach that European political settlement which eluded the victors after World War II, the absence of which prompted the Cold War that followed. More important than the particular negotiations themselves, certain forces have started in motion which are likely to alter considerably the postwar political landscape. No one can say with great assurance what sort of world these trends will lead to. None is free from ambiguity; all have aroused strong countertrends which may well reverse them. Nevertheless, taken together, they do furnish at least a working model for considering Europe’s likely shape in the future.