ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Robert Schuman

Robert Schuman was a very important person who lived a long time ago. He was born in Luxembourg in 1886 and grew up in France. He was a politician and was very good at working with other people to make important decisions.

One of Schuman's most important achievements was his work in helping to create the European Union. The European Union is a group of countries in Europe that work together like a big family. They share things like money, laws, and ideas to make life better for everyone.

Schuman thought that it was important for countries to work together and not fight with each other. He believed that if countries were friends and helped each other, they would be happier and safer.

So Schuman helped bring together six countries in Europe - France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands - to start working together. They created the European Coal and Steel Community to help them share resources and make sure that there were no more wars between them.

This was a great idea and it worked so well that the European Union was eventually born from it. Schuman's work became the foundation for the peace and prosperity that Europe enjoys today.