The Union of European States?

Well it would have strong diplomatic weight but it probably uses that already.

It's military would dwarf everybody who is not the USA and China.

Hard to say what the wider effect would be.

Economically it would be a superpower but I actually think militarily it would be rather comparatively puny. It would easy match Russia, perhaps, using quality over quantity and having a store of nuclear weapons, but otherwise it'll probably follow the course of China and not be that bothered with a military capacity capable of reaching anywhere on the globe.

Economically it would be a superpower but I actually think militarily it would be rather comparatively puny. It would easy match Russia, perhaps, using quality over quantity and having a store of nuclear weapons, but otherwise it'll probably follow the course of China and not be that bothered with a military capacity capable of reaching anywhere on the globe.

Unless you're including Russia in this union then yes otherwise

"It's military would dwarf everybody who is not the USA, Russia and China"

People don't seem to be keeping up with russian military news. Russia has been undergoing an extensive military reform program, modernising its conventional and nuclear forces making it the second ost powerful military in the world.
http://www.globalfirepower.com/countries-listing.asp (nuclear capability NOT included)
It wouldn't match Russias military even if Europe had one united 'European miltary' due to each country speaking a different language, Command centres situated in different locations making it difficult to coordinate European forces in unison. Maybe if they shared the exact same language and had a central command then yes but otherwise no.

You must be a complete idiot if you think a federal Europe will happen.

The EU is already as diverse as possible in terms of culture, economy, history and social opinion for that to happen.

You must be a complete idiot if you think a federal Europe will happen.

The EU is already as diverse as possible in terms of culture, economy, history and social opinion for that to happen.

Where did you get the idea that I or anyone else in this thread thought that a federal europe would happen? It was merely a thought exercise

It fails as a thought exercise too, because conducting a thought exercise implies some level of desire of implementation, and practically speaking, implementation of a FedEurope or EUSSR is impossible.

The map I have posted above shows why Europe can never be united. It as a peninsular with 6 other peninsular's joining it but separated by mountain ranges, rivers or water. The Iberian Peninsular, Italian Peninsular, Greek-Macedonian Peninsular, Danish or Jutland Peninsular, Scandinavian Peninsular and the British Isles. We can also see the heart of Europe the Northern European Plain is pepper with rivers diving the Plain making its hard to united and creating difference river based nations.

Not necessarily. I don't think a federal EU is remotely possible either, but the thought experiment is harmless.

Somewhat irrelevant in the modern world i think.

Don't be daft. Geography matters and always will. Indeed it has shaped Europe.

To some degree, yes. But in todays world of open borders and modern transport, those things are not credible limitations.

So distance is no longer a limitation? Or having to build a railway through a mountain or a road? You are being daft. Geography matters it constrains peoples lives today as it away has. Just the constrains are different in some respects.