In Germans to the Front, David Large charts the path from Germany's total demilitarization immediately after World War II to the appearance of the Bundeswehr, the West German army, in 1956. The book is the first comprehensive study in English of West German rearmament during this critical period. Large's analysis of the complex interplay between the diplomatic and domestic facets of the rearmament debate illuminates key elements in the development of the Cold War and in Germany's ongoing difficulty in formulating a role for itself on the international scene. Rearmament severely tested West Germany's new parliamentary institutions, dramatically defined emerging power relationships in German politics, and posed a crucial challenge for the NATO alliance. Although the establishment of the Bundeswehr ultimately helped stabilize the nation, the acrimony surrounding its formation generated deep divisions in German society that persisted long after the army took the field. According to Large, the conflict was so bitter because rearmament forced a confrontation with fundamental questions of national identity and demanded a painful reckoning with the past.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
A work that is both comprehensive and comprehensible.
International History Review
Large's book is highly recommended for readers at any level with an interest in modern Germany.
Choice
The strength of Large's book lies in its investigation of the West German debate at the institutional level.
American Historical Review
An important contribution.
Central European History
Extremely impressive, well-written, and well-researched account of a critical period in the history of modern Germany and the Cold War.
Thomas Schwartz, Vanderbilt University --This text refers to the Paperback edition.
About the Author
David Clay Large is professor of history at Montana State University. His books include Between Two Fires: Europe's Path in the 1930s.
--This text refers to the
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First Sentence:
Often during World War II, the leaders of the Big Three Allied powers-Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Josef Stalin-claimed that they had learned the lessons of World War I: this time, after defeating Germany, they would so thoroughly demilitarize the country that it would never again disturb the peace of the world. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
personnel screening board, rearmament debate, rearmament question, military reform program, treaty package, defense contribution, treaty complex, treaty bills, military equality, military constitution, federal police force, traditional oath, occupation powers, deputy high commissioners, disarmament policy, security committee, treaty ratification Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
West Germany, Federal Republic, World War, Pleven Plan, Basic Law, New York, United States, Cold War, Western Europe, Third Reich, Twentieth of July, General Treaty, Soviet Union, Dienststelle Blank, Central Europe, Carlo Schmid, Konrad Adenauer, Occupation Statute, State Department, Brussels Treaty, East German, Korean War, Theodor Blank, High Commission, Himmerod Memorandum New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Often during World War II, the leaders of the Big Three Allied powers-Winston Churchill, Franklin Roosevelt, and Josef Stalin-claimed that they had learned the lessons of World War I: this time, after defeating Germany, they would so thoroughly demilitarize the country that it would never again disturb the peace of the world. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
personnel screening board, rearmament debate, rearmament question, military reform program, treaty package, defense contribution, treaty complex, treaty bills, military equality, military constitution, federal police force, traditional oath, occupation powers, deputy high commissioners, disarmament policy, security committee, treaty ratification Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
West Germany, Federal Republic, World War, Pleven Plan, Basic Law, New York, United States, Cold War, Western Europe, Third Reich, Twentieth of July, General Treaty, Soviet Union, Dienststelle Blank, Central Europe, Carlo Schmid, Konrad Adenauer, Occupation Statute, State Department, Brussels Treaty, East German, Korean War, Theodor Blank, High Commission, Himmerod Memorandum New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 38
books:
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24
books
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- History of West Germany 2nd Edition Set (A History of West Germany) (v. 2) by Dennis L. Bark in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Soviet Union: Will Perestroika Work? (Hotspots) by John Bradley on page 65, page 94, and page 205
- The Korean War by Dean Acheson on page 65, page 95, and page 147
- Reforging the Iron Cross: The Search for Tradition in the West German Armed Forces by Donald Abenheim in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Pax Atomica: The Nuclear Defense Debate in West Germany During the Adenauer Era by Mark Cioc in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
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- The Miracle Years by Hanna Schissler on 5 pages
- Recovery and Restoration: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Politics of Reconstruction of West Germany's Shipbuilding Industry, 1945-1955 (International History) by Henry B. Wend on page 132, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Thanks of the Fatherland: German Veterans After the Second World War by James M. Diehl in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- Money and Security: Troops, Monetary Policy, and West Germany's Relations with the United States and Britain, 1950-1971 (Publications of the German Historical Institute) by Hubert Zimmermann in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Redefining European Security (Contemporary Issues in European Politics) by Carl C. Hodge on page 201, and Back Matter
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