In the immediate aftermath of World War Two, the victors were unable to agree on Germany's fate, and the separation of the country-the result of the nascent Cold War-emerged as a de facto, if provisional, settlement. Yet East and West Germany would exist apart for half a century, making the "German question" a central foreign policy issue-and given the war-torn history between the two countries, this was felt no more keenly than in France. Drawing on the most recent historiography and previously untapped archival sources, this volume shows how France's approach to the German question was, for the duration of the Cold War, both more constructive and consequential than has been previously acknowledged.

When Charles de Gaulle declared that "it is because we are no longer a great power that we need a grand policy," he neatly summarized France's predicament on the world scene. In this compact and engaging history, author Frederic Bozo deftly recounts France's efforts to reconcile its proud history and global ambitions with a realistic appraisal of its capabilities, from the aftermath of World War II to the present. He provides insightful analysis of the nation's triumphs and setbacks through the years of decolonization, Cold War maneuvering, and European unification, as well as the more contemporary challenges posed by an increasingly multipolar and interconnected world.

Exploring the visions of the end of the Cold War that have been put forth since its inception until its actual ending, this volume brings to the fore the reflections, programmes, and strategies that were intended to call into question the bipolar system and replace it with alternative approaches or concepts. These visions were associated not only with prominent individuals, organized groups and civil societies, but were also connected to specific historical processes or events. They ranged from actual, thoroughly conceived programmes, to more blurred, utopian aspirations - or simply the belief that the Cold War had already, in effect, come to an end. Such visions reveal much about the contexts in which they were developed and shed light on crucial moments and phases of the Cold War.

When Charles de Gaulle declared that "it is because we are no longer a great power that we need a grand policy," he neatly summarized France's predicament on the world scene. In this compact and engaging history, author Frederic Bozo deftly recounts France's efforts to reconcile its proud history and global ambitions with a realistic appraisal of its capabilities, from the aftermath of World War II to the present. He provides insightful analysis of the nation's triumphs and setbacks through the years of decolonization, Cold War maneuvering, and European unification, as well as the more contemporary challenges posed by an increasingly multipolar and interconnected world.

Exploring the visions of the end of the Cold War that have been put forth since its inception until its actual ending, this volume brings to the fore the reflections, programmes, and strategies that were intended to call into question the bipolar system and replace it with alternative approaches or concepts. These visions were associated not only with prominent individuals, organized groups and civil societies, but were also connected to specific historical processes or events. They ranged from actual, thoroughly conceived programmes, to more blurred, utopian aspirations - or simply the belief that the Cold War had already, in effect, come to an end. Such visions reveal much about the contexts in which they were developed and shed light on crucial moments and phases of the Cold War.

..".telling the story of German unification] primarily from the French perspective provides a more detached yet highly informed account of the diplomacy." . Foreign Affairs

"Bozo's masterly book is the definitive study of French President Mitterrand's important, and often denied or dismissed, contribution to German unification and to the reunification of Europe. It is indispensable to anyone interested in these momentous events, in French foreign policy, and -- in the truth." . Stanley Hoffmann, Harvard University

"This outstanding study... is obligatory reading on the end of the East-West conflict and on German unification. It is exceptionally well researched and based on largely untouched sources." . Karl Kaiser in Internationale Politik

"Twenty years ago when the Berlin Wall fell, many feared that the reunification of Germany might bring back Europe's old ghosts, especially the rivalry between France and Germany. This book, written by one of Europe's outstanding contemporary historians, demonstrates the central role played by French president Francois Mitterrand in furthering German reunification and forging a new architecture for.post Cold War Europe. Based on a rich body of primary source material, Bozo carefully and persuasively challenges prevailing American narratives, and makes a powerful case for the ultimate triumph of Mitterand's vision. It is essential reading for scholars hoping to understand the historical background to Europe's increasing assertiveness and independence from the United States." . Thomas A. Schwartz, Vanderbilt University

Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, this important book explores the role of France in the events leading up to the end of the Cold War and German unification. Most accounts concentrate on the role of the United States and look at these events through the bipolar prism of Soviet-American relations. Yet because of its central position in Europe and of its status as Germany's foremost European partner, France and its President, Francois Mitterrand, played a decisive role in these pivotal international events: the peaceful liberation of Eastern Europe from Soviet rule starting in 1988, the fall of the Berlin Wall and Germany's return to unity and full sovereignty in 1989/90, and the breakup of the USSR in 1991. Based on extensive research and a vast amount of archival sources, this book explores the role played by France in shaping a new European order.

Frederic Bozo is currently Professor in contemporary history and international relations at the Sorbonne (University of Paris III, Department of European Studies). He was previously professor at the University of Nantes (1998-2005) and associate professor at the University of Marne-la-Valle (1994-1998). Born in 1963, Frederic Bozo was educated at the Ecole normale superieure, at the Institut d'etudes politiques de Paris and at Harvard University. He received his doctorate from the University of Paris X - Nanterre (1993) and his habilitation from the Sorbonne - Paris III (1997). His research field is French foreign and security policy, transatlantic relations and Cold War history.

..".telling the story of German unification] primarily from the French perspective provides a more detached yet highly informed account of the diplomacy." . Foreign Affairs

"Bozo's masterly book is the definitive study of French President Mitterrand's important, and often denied or dismissed, contribution to German unification and to the reunification of Europe. It is indispensable to anyone interested in these momentous events, in French foreign policy, and -- in the truth." . Stanley Hoffmann, Harvard University

"This outstanding study... is obligatory reading on the end of the East-West conflict and on German unification. It is exceptionally well researched and based on largely untouched sources." . Karl Kaiser in Internationale Politik

"Twenty years ago when the Berlin Wall fell, many feared that the reunification of Germany might bring back Europe's old ghosts, especially the rivalry between France and Germany. This book, written by one of Europe's outstanding contemporary historians, demonstrates the central role played by French president Francois Mitterrand in furthering German reunification and forging a new architecture for.post Cold War Europe. Based on a rich body of primary source material, Bozo carefully and persuasively challenges prevailing American narratives, and makes a powerful case for the ultimate triumph of Mitterand's vision. It is essential reading for scholars hoping to understand the historical background to Europe's increasing assertiveness and independence from the United States." . Thomas A. Schwartz, Vanderbilt University

Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, this important book explores the role of France in the events leading up to the end of the Cold War and German unification. Most accounts concentrate on the role of the United States and look at these events through the bipolar prism of Soviet-American relations. Yet because of its central position in Europe and of its status as Germany's foremost European partner, France and its President, Francois Mitterrand, played a decisive role in these pivotal international events: the peaceful liberation of Eastern Europe from Soviet rule starting in 1988, the fall of the Berlin Wall and Germany's return to unity and full sovereignty in 1989/90, and the breakup of the USSR in 1991. Based on extensive research and a vast amount of archival sources, this book explores the role played by France in shaping a new European order.

Frederic Bozo is currently Professor in contemporary history and international relations at the Sorbonne (University of Paris III, Department of European Studies). He was previously professor at the University of Nantes (1998-2005) and associate professor at the University of Marne-la-Valle (1994-1998). Born in 1963, Frederic Bozo was educated at the Ecole normale superieure, at the Institut d'etudes politiques de Paris and at Harvard University. He received his doctorate from the University of Paris X - Nanterre (1993) and his habilitation from the Sorbonne - Paris III (1997). His research field is French foreign and security policy, transatlantic relations and Cold War history."

This book provides a multinational history of German reunification based on empirical work by leading scholars. The reunification of Germany in 1989-90 was one of the most unexpected and momentous events of the twentieth century. Embedded within the wider process of the end of the Cold War, it contributed decisively to the dramatic changes that followed: the end of the division of Europe, the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the origins of NATO's eastward expansion and, not least, the creation of the European Union. Based on the wealth of evidence that has become available from many countries involved, and relying on the most recent historiography, this collection takes into account the complex interaction of multinational processes that were instrumental in shaping German reunification in the pivotal years 1989-90. The volume brings together renowned international scholars whose recent works, based on their research in multiple languages and sources, have contributed significantly to the history of the end of the Cold War and of German reunification. The resulting volume represents an important contribution to our knowledge and understanding of a significant chapter in recent history. This book will be of much interest to students of German politics, Cold war history, international and multinational history and IR in general.

This book seeks to reassess the role of Europe in the end of the Cold War and the process of German unification.

Much of the existing literature on the end of the Cold War has focused primarily on the role of the superpowers and on that of the US in particular. This edited volume seeks to re-direct the focus towards the role of European actors and the importance of European processes, most notably that of integration. Written by leading experts in the field, and making use of newly available source material, the book explores "Europe" in all its various dimensions, bringing to the forefront of historical research previously neglected actors and processes. These include key European nations, endemic evolutions in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, European integration, and the pan-European process. The volume serves therefore to rediscover the transformation of 1989-90 as a European event, deeply influenced by European actors, and of great significance for the subsequent evolution of the continent.

The end of the Cold War, in particular German unification and the demise of the Soviet Empire, are among the best documented and the most thoroughly researched events in recent history. Yet, efforts to understand the end of the Cold War historically can be described, to this day, as partial. The time has come for a broader and, at the same time, more European-focused endeavor. Such an effort is made possible by the growing availability of new sources, including archives which are now beginning to open up systematically. By choosing to concentrate on "Europe" in its various dimensions (Western Europe, Eastern Europe as well as the pan-European dimension) this book aims at bringing to the forefront of historical research previously neglected actors or processes whose contributions to the end of the Cold War were, in our view, decisive, including key European nations, endemic evolutions in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, European integration, and the pan-European process.

This book will be of great interest to students of Cold War Studies, Contemporary European History and International Relations in general.

This timely book explores the often stormy French-U.S. relationship and the evolution of the Atlantic Alliance under the presidency of Charles de Gaulle (1958 1969). The first work on this subject to draw on previously inaccessible material from U.S. and French archives, the study offers a comprehensive analysis of Gaullist policies toward NATO and the United States during the 1960s, a period that reached its apogee with de Gaulle s dramatic decision in 1966 to withdraw from NATO s integrated military arm. This launched the French policy of autonomy within NATO, which has since been adapted without having been abandoned. De Gaulle s policy often has been caricatured by admirers and detractors alike as an expression of nationalism or anti-Americanism. Yet Frederic Bozo argues that although it did reflect the General s quest for grandeur, it also, and perhaps more important, stemmed from a genuine strategy designed to build an independent Europe and to help overcome the system of blocs. Indeed, the author contends, de Gaulle s actions forced NATO to adapt to new strategic realities. Retracing the different phases of de Gaulle s policies, Bozo provides valuable insight into current French approaches to foreign and security policy, including the recent attempt by President Chirac to redefine and normalize the France-NATO relationship. As the author shows, de Gaulle s legacy remains vigorous as France grapples with European integration, a new role within a reformed NATO, and relations with the United States.

This book provides a multinational history of German reunification based on empirical work by leading scholars. The reunification of Germany in 1989-90 was one of the most unexpected and momentous events of the twentieth century. Embedded within the wider process of the end of the Cold War, it contributed decisively to the dramatic changes that followed: the end of the division of Europe, the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, the origins of NATO's eastward expansion and, not least, the creation of the European Union. Based on the wealth of evidence that has become available from many countries involved, and relying on the most recent historiography, this collection takes into account the complex interaction of multinational processes that were instrumental in shaping German reunification in the pivotal years 1989-90. The volume brings together renowned international scholars whose recent works, based on their research in multiple languages and sources, have contributed significantly to the history of the end of the Cold War and of German reunification. The resulting volume represents an important contribution to our knowledge and understanding of a significant chapter in recent history. This book will be of much interest to students of German politics, Cold war history, international and multinational history and IR in general.

In March 2003, the United States and Great Britain invaded Iraq to put an end to the regime of Saddam Hussein. The war was launched without a United Nations mandate and was based on the erroneous claim that Iraq had retained weapons of mass destruction. France, under President Jacques Chirac and Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin, spectacularly opposed the United States and British invasion, leading a global coalition against the war that also included Germany and Russia. The diplomatic crisis leading up to the war shook both French and American perceptions of each other and revealed cracks in the transatlantic relationship that had been building since the end of the Cold War. Based on exclusive French archival sources and numerous interviews with former officials in both France and the United States, A History of the Iraq Crisis retraces the international exchange that culminated in the 2003 Iraq conflict. It shows how and why the Iraq crisis led to a confrontation between two longtime allies unprecedented since the time of Charles de Gaulle, and it exposes the deep and ongoing divisions within Europe, the Atlantic alliance, and the international community as a whole. The Franco-American narrative offers a unique prism through which the American road to war can be better understood.

In the late 1970s, new generations of nuclear delivery systems were proposed for deployment across Eastern and Western Europe. The ensuing controversy grew to become a key phase in the late Cold War. This book explores the origins, unfolding, and consequences of that crisis. Contributors from international relations, political science, sociology, and history draw on extensive research in a number of countries, often employing declassified documents from the West and from the newly opened state and party archives of many Soviet bloc countries. They cover especially Soviet-Warsaw Pact relations, U.S.-NATO relations, and the role of public opinion worldwide in relation to the crisis.