Items related to The Bonn Republic: West German Democracy 1945-1990...
This is a political history of the West German state from its birth amid postwar defeat through to reunification after the fall of the Soviet Union, when she once again became the leading power in Europe. The book describes how the new Germany was brought into being by the rapidly changing political patterns of the Cold War; how it built a stable and, in due course, formidable economy; and how the hard-won triumph of Germany's new federal democratic vision has itself contributed to the larger vision of a federal, democratic Europe. The book ends with a consideration of whether or not the reunified Germany can hold to the same goals and certainties as the old state. The book is written from a firmly historical perspective, at a distance from the events it explores, and the approach is via a broad analytical narrative, rather than a series of thematic investigations.
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Review:
'This fascinating and well-written book' British German Review 'This readable book will long be used as a basic text' History Today
From the Back Cover:
BACK OF COVER-
THE POSTWAR WORLD
General Editors A.J.Nicholls and Martin S. Alexander
Here is an authoritative account, by one of Britain's leading historians of Germany, of one of the great success stories of the postwar era- the birth, growth and eventual rise to European ascendancy of a stable, democratic and socially responsible state in West Germany. Based on up-to-date research by German, American and British scholars, it covers the full span of West German history from its origins in defeat and devastation through to reunification with East Germany in 1990 after the fall of the Soviet Empire.
While the Federal Republic was formally established in Bonn in 1949, its roots lie in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. A.J.Nicholls therefore begins his story with the period of occupation from 1945. He describes the impact of defeat and occupation on the German people, the beginnings of political life under Allied rule, and how the changing political patterns of the new Cold War between the Soviet Union and her former Western allies hastened the creation of the Federal Republic.
Mr Nicholls discusses the role of Konrad Adenauer and Ludwig Erhard in restoring West German confidence after the humiliation of defeat. He shows how Adenauer's achievement in restoring German sovereignty and integrating the Bonn Republic into the Western bloc was parallelled by Erhard's successful economic policy, which enabled West Germany's industrial power to be harnessed to peaceful commercial activity. He explores the impact of these developments on West German society by looking particularly at such issues as housing, immigration and tourism.
THE POSTWAR WORLD
General Editors A.J.Nicholls and Martin S. Alexander
Here is an authoritative account, by one of Britain's leading historians of Germany, of one of the great success stories of the postwar era- the birth, growth and eventual rise to European ascendancy of a stable, democratic and socially responsible state in West Germany. Based on up-to-date research by German, American and British scholars, it covers the full span of West German history from its origins in defeat and devastation through to reunification with East Germany in 1990 after the fall of the Soviet Empire.
While the Federal Republic was formally established in Bonn in 1949, its roots lie in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War. A.J.Nicholls therefore begins his story with the period of occupation from 1945. He describes the impact of defeat and occupation on the German people, the beginnings of political life under Allied rule, and how the changing political patterns of the new Cold War between the Soviet Union and her former Western allies hastened the creation of the Federal Republic.
Mr Nicholls discusses the role of Konrad Adenauer and Ludwig Erhard in restoring West German confidence after the humiliation of defeat. He shows how Adenauer's achievement in restoring German sovereignty and integrating the Bonn Republic into the Western bloc was parallelled by Erhard's successful economic policy, which enabled West Germany's industrial power to be harnessed to peaceful commercial activity. He explores the impact of these developments on West German society by looking particularly at such issues as housing, immigration and tourism.
As the Cold War moved from confrontation to detente, so the domestic political scene changed in West Germany, with a new generation questioning the old certainties of the Adenauer era. The book illustrates how the Bonn Republic's federal constitution and westernized political culture helped to smooth over generational conflicts which might have disrupted less flexible systems.
The Bonn Republic's last decade found West Germany prosperous but troubled by structural unemployment; secure, but worried by renewed East/West tensions. The sudden collapse of Soviet rule in Eastern Europe caught everbody unprepared; and Mr Nicholls's account of how Helmut Kohl brilliantly exploited this unexpected opportunity to unite his country brings his book, and the Bonn Republic itself, to a vigorous conclusion.
A.J.Nicholls's scholarship is formidable- but his book is attractively written, easily approachable and expressly designed for a general readership as well as for scholars and students - as befits a subject which affects all our lives today, whether we live in Germany, Europe or the wider world.
A.J.NICHOLLS is a Lecturer at Oxford University, and an Official Fellow of St Antony's College, Oxford. He is also co-General Editor of The Postwar World series in which this volume appears.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
- PublisherLongman
- Publication date1997
- ISBN 10 0582492319
- ISBN 13 9780582492318
- BindingHardcover
- Edition number1
- Number of pages360
- Rating
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