Easier fatherland : Germany and the twenty-first century

Author / Creator

Crawshaw, Steve

Available as

Online

Physical

Summary

"Germany is the most powerful country in Europe, yet remains little understood - by itself, as much as by the rest of the world. It is in a state of remarkable flux, confronting the demons of the p...

"Germany is the most powerful country in Europe, yet remains little understood - by itself, as much as by the rest of the world. It is in a state of remarkable flux, confronting the demons of the past, even as it gropes its way towards a new almost-normality." "The enlargement of the European Union, which has brought formerly Communist countries of Eastern Europe into the EU, makes Germany's role more pivotal than ever. So what makes this country tick?" "For decades after the Second World War the country remained polluted by the Nazi legacy; there was little attempt to confront the past. Today, such confrontation with history is everywhere - and, at the same time, Germany itself has become more relaxed." "The unimaginable crimes committed by Germans during twelve years in the middle of the last century can never be left behind. This is, however, a more confident nation. Only a few years ago, it seemed unthinkable for Germany to send soldiers abroad; now thousands of German troops are stationed around the world, from the Balkans to Afghanistan. Equally unthinkable would have been the public defiance of Washington's wishes, such as Germany's opposition to the war on Iraq. West-East unity is at last becoming a reality. The economy stumbles from one crisis to the next, with reform always just around the corner. Politically this is a new Germany - democratic but outspoken - such as never seen before." "Steve Crawshaw's book explores these changes in mindset and how German society itself, fifteen years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, is now in the midst of the greatest changes of all."--Jacket.

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