German Democracy From Post-World War II to the Present Day [Paperback]

When the former allies of World War II divided Germany into two provisional states, no one would have predicted that this would last for nearly half a century. Nor could anyone have predicted that sixty years later, Germany would have shaken off its Nazi past so thoroughly as to emerge as a key player in Western politics.Gert-Joachim Glaessner explains this historic transformation and provides an in-depth introduction to the German political system, its foundations and developments since 1949. Themes covered include the development of the FDR and GDR during the Cold War, the politics of Westernization, the controversies of West Germany's role in NATO and European integration. The author also examines parliamentary institutions, the role of the German Chancellor, party structure and organized interest groups. The book includes reference material from key documents, such as the German Constitution.Demonstrating how Germany went from political pariah to a model of modern liberal democracy, Glaessner offers a concise overview of the German political system in the post-war period.

The particular strength of the book lies in its analysis of the constitutional structures and the absorption of German sovereignty into the European Union. But [the author] also considers the weight of the sweeping changes in German politics, society and, in particular, political culture. It is an authoritative account of how post-World War Two Germany developed into a stable constitutional democracy. Peter H. Merkl, Professor Emeritus University of California, Santa Barbara

Glaessner's authoritative study will be essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how contemporary Germany, scarred by its Nazi past and the bitter divisions of the Cold War, succeeded in establishing a strong, widely admired democracy capable of coping with the multiple and often troubling challenges of unification. Ian Wallace, Professor Emeritus of German, University of Bath