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A review essay on books by: Michael Sturmer, Die Grenzen der Macht. Begegnungen der Deutschen mit der Geschichte([The Boundaries of Power. German Encounters with History] Berlin: Siedler, 1992); Gregor Schollgen, Die Macht in der Mitte Europas. Stationen deutscher Aussenpolitik von Friedrich dem Grossen bis zur Gegenwart ([The Power in Central Europe. The Stations of International Politics from Frederick the Great to the Present] Munich: C. H. Beck, 1992); & Wolfgang J. Mommsen, Grossmachtstellung und Weltpolitik, 1870-1914 ([Position as a Great Power and World Politics, 1870-1914] Frankfurt: Ullstein [see listings in IRPS No. 87]). Sturmer begins by linking national identity & history, arguing that those who determine what should be remembered, develop concepts, & interpret the past will control the future. He explores the Federal Republic of Germany's historical evolution since the seventeenth century, focusing on foreign relations & integrating internal & external developments. Schollgen presents his perception of two central problems of German foreign policy, ie, Central Europe's need to obtain external security, & Germany's need for an equal position. Mommsen includes little on domestic politics, but presents an account of who was primarily responsible for WWI. C. Whitcraft

Katzenstein contends that a multilateral institutionalization of power is the most distinctive aspect of the relationship between Europe and Germany. Only the observer who is aware of this important fact can understand why Germany is willing to give up its new sovereign power. Although Germany is larger than any other member of the European Union and plays a crucial role in the economic and political life of Eastern Europe, its power is now funneled through the institutions of the European Union rather than erupting in a narrow, power-defined sense of national self-interest. The empirical chapters of this book explore the institutionalization of power relations between the European Union and Germany, as well as the relations of Germany and the European Union with most of the smaller European states

Examines the role of Germany in the European Union; some focus on how domestic support for the symbols of a united Europe might affect the political influence of a member state within the European Union.

'Tamed Power: Germany in Europe' edited by Peter J. Katzenstein is reviewed. A book review of Tamed Power: Germany in Europe, edited by Peter J. Katzenstein, is presented.