The rebirth of a world power? German unification and the future of European security

Abstract

German unification has altered the fundamentals of European and Atlantic security. The present thesis analyzes the past, present, and future of German power, paying particular attention to the evolution of diplomacy and statecraft between Germany and the great powers in the period 1987-1990. This analysis is based, however, on a thorough examination of the role of Germany in the European states system from 1648 to the present. For no understanding of German power is possible without an astute appreciation of the impact of the past on the present and the future. The main focus of the thesis thereafter falls upon the so-called 'two plus four' diplomacy that got underway shortly after the collapse of the Berlin wall and reached its climax in July 1990. The final portion of the thesis analyzes such issues of contemporary policy as: Germany and NATO; the future of nuclear and conventional weapons; Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE); and the future of diplomacy, statecraft, and strategy in an altered Europe.