This collection of original papers by prominent political and academic figures from both sides of the Atlantic focuses on the political, economic, military-strategic, and domestic dimensions of West Germany's foreign policy. The authors first consider the changing constraints and opportunities that have shaped West German foreign policy. Succeeding chapters examine Germany's relationship with the United States, the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and the Third World; the evolution and development of Germany's Eastern European policy; the role of Germany in a changing political, strategic, and economic environment; arms proliferation and control; and prospects for the future.
Focusing on the most urgent issues of arms control, this collection of essays discusses the East-West military balance, the nature of U.S.-Soviet relations, the political dynamics of developments in weapons technology, the problems that conflicting national security policies pose for the management of the Western alliance, the influence of U.S. dom
Focusing on the social, economic, and political structures of the postwar global order, this collection of essays discusses the search for a new international economic order, the transformation of the nation-state and the international balance of power, the technological and strategic dimensions of the nuclear age, East-West trade and technology tr
The political dimension of arms control has always had special significance for the Federal Republic of Germany, not only because of the issue of a divided Germany and a partitioned Europe but also because of the country's key position in the Western security alliance. In the wake of NATO's recent decision to deploy more nuclear weapons on German soil, and in the absence of progress on arms control, it has become clear that arms control measures and negotiations have assumed an importance far beyond their military-technical components; fundamental questions about the nature of East-West relations and the future shape of the transatlantic alliance and the European political order also have been raised. These essays explore the implications of arms control negotiations for the Federal Republic of Germany and consider why Germany has traditionally found it impossible to divorce considerations of arms control from their larger political context.
Helmut Schmidt, chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, is one of the most remarkable and prominent political figures on the contemporary-world stage. His many years of public service in a wide range of government and party positions have coincided with the growth of the Federal Republic; one might say that he and West Germany have grown to maturity together. The various responsibilities that he has undertaken--as a member of the Bundestag, as senator of the city-state of Hamburg, as floor leader of his party in the Bundestag, as minister of defense, as minister of economics and finance, and as chancellor--have kept Schmidt in close contact with the major concerns of the Federal Republic. There is hardly an important issue in West German foreign or domestic policy in which Helmut Schmidt has not participated. Chancellor Schmidt's masterful use of language, developed in the critical forum of parliamentary debate and sharpened over the decades as an instrument of explanation and persuasion, has made his public voice one of the most articulate of our time. The speeches, interviews, and essays collected in this book--the first such collection presented to an English-speaking readership-- reflect the broad spectrum of Chancellor Schmidt's experience as well as his political temperament. Many of the chapters focus on practical matters of public policy, but in the more philosophical essays, the reader will find Helmut Schmidt speaking in a reflective, contemplative voice, providing insight into the underlying moral sensibility and personal view of public life that tie his world of thought to his world of action.
Wolfram F. Hanrieder: Deutschland, Europa, Amerika. Die Außenpolitik der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 1949-1989. Ferdinand Schöningh Verlag, Paderborn, München, Wien, Zürich 1991. 609 Seiten, 88,- DM
