The 'German question' in the political culture of West Germany in the 1980s: Influence on German-American relations between anti-Americanism and the recognition of the German-Polish border

The dissertation analyzes German-American relations in light of the development of the "German Question" during the last years of West Germany. I focus on the political culture of West Germany, where German identity underwent a considerable transformation between the late 1970s and 1990, when the recognition of the German-Polish border and German unification put a preliminary end to the intellectual unrest and to the uncertainty as to a definition of Germany.;The argument of the dissertation provides an analysis of several events, which are interpreted as a reflection of a cultural "debate" about a beginning redefinition of Germany's self-awareness. Some of those events, Peace Movement and Anti-Americanism, or NATO Modernization Debate, caused transatlantic ramifications; others, such as the institutional crisis of the West German party system, or the rediscovery of "Heimat" among the left, went more on the margins of international attention. All of the events were related, though, and at the end of the process West Germany was less certain as to its Western integration.;Further, the crisis of pro-Western CDU/CSU conservatism and the advent of a nationalistic right-wing competitor party were both a clear indicator and a consequence of the transformation. It was only Chancellor Kohl's courageous and skillful policy, which rescued the fundamentally West German political tradition of Liberal-Conservatism both from the assaults of the extreme Right and the challenge of Social Democracy at the end of the decade. The "deeper" cultural search as to Germany's self-understanding, however could only be pacified for the time being. It is likely to flare up, again.;In 1990, the Bonn Republic fulfilled its purpose with unification and the recognition of the German-Polish border, and a 10-year transition period began, at the end of which in 1999 the unified Berlin Republic may determine a transformed understanding of German identity. The intellectual changes which occurred during the last years of West Germany, therefore, are likely to enter into the roots of the Berlin Republic's emerging foreign policy and the likely security posture, with respect to the United States.