German unification and the big powers, 1985--1990

The beginning of the last decade of the twentieth century witnessed political changes in Western Europe that arguably may rival events in the latter nineteenth and early twentieth centuries that led to the initial unification of Germany and the creation of Soviet Russia. The Soviet Union began to lose control over its East European empire and finally collapsed as a sovereign entity, bringing an end to the Cold War. At the center of this ideological dispute between the communist East and the democratic West was the “German Question” that had left Germany and Europe divided since the end of the Second World War. Nuclear proliferation made this antagonism and the divisions it created appear to be perpetual. As the division of Germany lay at the heart of the Cold War, the reunification of Germany in 1990 signified its end.; This dissertation is a study of the reunification movement, emphasizing the interactions between the two Germanys and the major powers that influenced the final outcomes. Because concerns of Germany's neighbors and the Western powers were founded in Germany's past, reunification is placed in its proper historical context, beginning with the initial unification movement in the nineteenth century.; Also included is an evaluation of how the reunification of Germany is presented in contemporary college survey and high school United States History and Western Civilization/World History textbooks. Because these classes are the only exposure of students to this information, and because most contemporary texts were found to be weak in their presentation of this material, it is essential that instructors of this material provide adequate supplementary material in their classes. Examples are provided in the appendices.