| Description |
The Federal Republic of Germany is a unique country, given its history and its ideological division following the Second World War. It has followed a path leading from a pariah nation to a respected member of the Western Alliance, the third largest economy of the world, and an important actor in the process of global East/West relations. What is Germany today, and how has it come to be so? That is the purpose of this paper, to analyze particularly the development in West German foreign policy achievements and its limitations, to analyze the significance of its reconstruction and membership in the concert of nations. This paper will also assess West German ability to translate its social and economic power into political leverage that can be extended beyond its frontiers. But as has been said, West Germany is a unique nation, facing handicaps and challenges which no other country must experience. Consequently, it is necessary that current accomplishments; of the Federal Republic be put into context of its uniqueness. The most obvious way to begin such an analysis is with Germany's historical background, which is responsible even today for the individual role which West Germany plays in the international political scene. |
