Synopses & Reviews
What and where is Germany is a question that has been posed by Goethe and Schiller and has been one of the crucial issues in European politics for two centuries with tremendous consequences, even after German reunification.This new study traces the evolution of the German question in its European context and through its various guises, from pre-unification times, through the Bismarckian and Wilhelmine empire to dictatorship, partition, and eventual reunification. His astute analysis provides important insights on both modern history and the political future of Europe.
Peter Alter teaches at the University of Duisburg. What and where is Germany is a question that has been posed by Goethe and Schiller and has been one of the crucial issues in European politics for two centuries with tremendous consequences, even after German reunification.
This new study traces the evolution of the German question in its European context and through its various guises, from pre-unification times, through the Bismarckian and Wilhelmine empire to dictatorship, partition, and eventual reunification. Peter Alter's astute analysis provides important insights on both modern history and the political future of Europe. "An illuminating survey that would serve well any undergraduate course in European or German history or politics. Alter deftly synthesizes the most important secondary texts on the subject."History Journal
"An intelligent and readable guide to the question which caused most trouble in Europe from the Congress of Vienna to German unification in 1990. The book is an admirably concise survey and will be very useful to students."English Historical Review
"This book is quite an achievement: it manages to deal with a subject of great complexity and depth, and over a long time-span (1815 to present day), yet does so in a way which will be accessible to all readers, academic and non-academic."German History
"The book is well written and easy to comprehend. The brevity of the book is actually one of its biggest strengths. Alter manages to describe the developments and the historical questions they have raised in such a way that the reader feels informed in one glance and ready to move on to more detailed questions. In this way Alter's book has to be highly recommended for all beginners in the study of the German question in the European context."German Politics
Synopsis
"An intelligent and readable guide to the question which caused most trouble in Europe from the Congress of Vienna to German unification in 1990. The book is an admirably concise survey and will be very useful to students."—English Historical Review
Synopsis
What and where is Germany? This question, posed by Goethe and Schiller in 1797, has been one of the crucial issues in European politics. It has had tremendous consequences over past two centuries and even now, long after the reunification of Germany, the question remains in the background, although in a somewhat changed form. Peter Alter's new study traces the evolution of the German question in its European context and through its various guises, from pre-unification times, through the Bismarckian and Wilhelmine empire to dictatorship, partition, and eventual reunification. His astute analysis provides important insights on both modern history and the political future of Europe.
Synopsis
"An intelligent and readable guide to the question which caused most trouble in Europe from the Congress of Vienna to German unification in 1990. The book is an admirably concise survey and will be very useful to students."English Historical Review
Synopsis
What and where is Germany is a question that has been posed by Goethe and Schiller and has been one of the crucial issues in European politics for two centuries with tremendous consequences, even after German reunification.This new study traces the evolution of the German question in its European context and through its various guises, from pre-unification times, through the Bismarckian and Wilhelmine empire to dictatorship, partition, and eventual reunification. His astute analysis provides important insights on both modern history and the political future of Europe.
About the Author
Peter Alter is at University of Duisburg.
Table of Contents
Preface
1. The German Question and Europe
2. Vienna 1815: the quest for stability
3. Economic progress and political failure
4. German unity: first attempt 1870-71
5. The German Question in war and peace
6. The nemesis of dictatorship
7. Germany in the Cold War
8. The German Question 1989-90: a dream come true?
Notes
Chronology
Select bibliography
Index of names