MACMILLAN France and the Reunification of Germany: Leadership in the Workshop of World Politics

With the collapse of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European bloc, the reunification of Germany was a major episode in the history of modern Europe ― and one widely held to have been opposed by that country's centuries-old enemy, France. But while it has been previously believed that French President François Mitterrand played a negative role in events leading up to reunification, this book shows that Mitterrand's main concern was not the potential threat of an old nemesis but rather that a reunified Germany be firmly anchored in a unified Europe. Updated with a new introduction and other materials, the book blends primary research and interviews with key actors in France and Germany to take readers behind the scenes of world governments as a new Europe was formed. Tilo Schabert had unprecedented, exclusive access to French presidential archives and here focuses on French diplomacy not only to dispel the notion that Mitterrand was reluctant to accept reunification but also to show how successful he was in bringing it about. Review “This is a book that, by the wealth of its questioning and the clearness of its presentation, by the scrupulous criticism of all available sources and the use of an analytical method which is thoroughly original and perfectly adapted to the exceptional character of the historical moment in question, leads the reader to the very heart of the decision-making process in international politics and provides him with the apt keys for its interpretation. With this work, Tilo Schabert establishes himself as one of the finest and subtlest exegetes of Mitterrand’s complex world of thought, and a sharp-sighted decoder of the relation between France and Germany in its singularity and uniqueness. Interpreting politics as a phenomenon of fluidity, Schabert offers a beautiful illustration of the art of government practiced by persons who are conscious of their responsibility in the face of history.”  - Jean Musitelli, Diplomat and former Spokesman for President François Mitterrand (1991-1995) From the Back Cover With the collapse of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European bloc, the reunification of Germany was a major episode in the history of modern Europe ― and one widely held to have been opposed by that country's centuries-old enemy, France. But while it has been previously believed that French President François Mitterrand played a negative role in events leading up to reunification, this book shows that Mitterrand's main concern was not the potential threat of an old nemesis but rather that a reunified Germany be firmly anchored in a unified Europe. Updated with a new introduction and other materials, the book blends primary research and interviews with key actors in France and Germany to take readers behind the scenes of world governments as a new Europe was formed. Tilo Schabert had unprecedented, exclusive access to French presidential archives and here focuses on French diplomacy not only to dispel the notion that Mitterrand was reluctant to accept reunification but also to show how successful he was in bringing it about. Tilo Schabert is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Erlangen, Germany. He also taught at the Universities of Munich, Stanford, Bochum, Trier and Dresden, and was Research Fellow at Stanford, Harvard and the Australian National University, as well as Senior Heisenberg Research Fellow at the German Research Council. Schabert was Visiting Professor in Lisbon, Perpignan, Paris, Rennes, Salerno, Naples and Beijing. About the Author Tilo Schabert is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Erlangen, Germany. He also taught at the Universities of Munich, Stanford, Bochum, Trier and Dresden, and was Research Fellow at Stanford, Harvard and the Australian National University, as well as Senior Heisenberg Research Fellow at the German Research Council. Schabert was Visiting Pr