POL443H1S L0101

Graduate Course Code: POL2322H1S L0101

Topics in Comparative Politics II

Germany and it's Partners: Foreign Relations in Changing International Frameworks

Themes

Germany as the largest country and main economic power in the middle of Europe, burdened by its Nazi history, became a key player in Western community during the first decades after World War II. Forced by necessity and the commitment of its governments German foreign relations followed consequently the path of close partnership with its allies and self-restriction to multilateral action at the international level. In the first part of the course we will take a closer look on bilateral and multilateral outcomes of German foreign policy during the formative years until German Unification 1990. In the second part of the course we will examine how the governments of the unified Germany readjusted the traditional foreign policy course to the new framework of the post-cold war era. The analysis of reactions to the main international challenges during the past 20 years can deliver a better understanding of continuity and change in Germany’s bilateral relations and multilateral behavior.

Texts

Examples of recommended reading (TBA)
Simon Bulmer, Germany's European Diplomacy: Shaping the Regional Milieu (Manchester UP, 2001); Beverly Crawford, Power and German Foreign Policy: Embedded Hegemony in Europe (Palgrave, 2007); Kenneth Dyson/Klaus H. Goetz, Germany, Europe, and the Politics of Constraint (Oxford UP, 2004); Wolf-Dieter Eberwein/Karl Kaiser, Germany's New Foreign Policy: Decision-Making in an Interdependent World Decision-Making in an Interdependent World (Palgrave, 2001); Scott Erb, German Foreign Policy: Navigating a New Era (Lynne Rienner, 2003); Julius W. Friend, Unequal Partners French-German Relations, 1989-2000 (ABC-CLIO, 2001); Carine Germond/Henning Turk, A History of Franco-German Relations in Europe: From "Hereditary Enemies" to Partners (Palgrave, 2008); Helga Haftendorn, Coming of Age: German Foreign Policy Since 1945 (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005); Wolfram F. Hanrieder, Germany, America, Europe: Forty Years of German Foreign Policy (Yale UP, 1991); Peter Katzenstein, Tamed Power: Germany in Europe (Cornell, 1997); Klaus Larres, Uneasy Allies: British-German Relations and European Integration Since 1945 (Oxford UP, 2000); Mairi MacLean/Jean-Marc Trouille, France, Germany and Britain: Partners in a Changing World (Macmillan, 2000); Hanns W. Maull, Germany's Uncertain Power: Foreign Policy of the Berlin Republic (Palgrave, 2005); Roger Morgan/Caroline Bray, Partners and Rivals in Western Europe: Britain, France and Germany (Gower, 1986); Volker Rittberger, German Foreign Policy since Unification (Manchester UP, 2001); Christian Schweiger, Britain, Germany and the Future of the European Union (Palgrave, 2007); Reimund Seidelmann, The New Germany: History, Economy, Policies (Nomos, 2011); Douglas Webber, The Franco-German Relationship in the EU (Routledge, 1999); Douglas Webber, New Europe, New Germany, Old Foreign Policy? German Foreign Policy Since Unification (Routledge, 2001).

Format and Requirements

Research paper, in-class presentation, seminar participation and final exam (TBA).

Prerequisites

2.0 credits in POL/ JPA/ JPF/ JPI/ JPR/ JPS/ JRA courses