A History of Germany 1918 - 2020
The Divided Nation
5. Edition May 2021
416 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
Further versions
The new edition of the acclaimed textbook on modern German history, written by a leading scholar in the field
Now in its fifth edition, A History of Germany 1918-2020 provides a clear and well-balanced survey of German history from the creation of the Weimar Republic to the era of Angela Merkel's Chancellorship. Guiding readers through the complex patterns of the nation's historical development using clear and compelling narrative, this classic textbook introduces readers to the key themes of modern German history while tracing the social, cultural, and political tensions that have challenged German stability and unity across more than a century.
Fully updated for the next generation of readers, A History of Germany 1918-2020 extends its framework for exploring legacies of the past into the 21st century. The fifth edition includes enhanced coverage of the extremes of nationalism, military aggression, and genocide under Nazism, as well as an expanded analysis of the Berlin Republic and the changing character of Germany in the Europe of 2020. Presenting readers with a panoramic overview of the past 100 years of German history, this compelling textbook:
* Provides a concise yet thorough account of the turbulent history of Germany from the end of the First World War to the present
* Examines the character and consequences of World War II and the Holocaust
* Explores the development of a capitalist democracy in West Germany and a communist dictatorship in East Germany during the Cold War
* Covers East and West German history in equal depth from the perspectives of instability, division, and reunification
* Analyses the fall of Communism and the unification of an enlarged Federal Republic in 1989-90
* Traces unified Germany's development as a globally respected state playing a pivotal role in Europe today
A History of Germany 1918-2020: The Divided Nation, Fifth Edition remains the ideal text for undergraduate students in courses on modern German or European history, as well as for general readers with interest in the subject.
List of Maps ix
Preface to the Fifth Edition x
Preface to the Fourth Edition xi
Preface to the Third Edition xii
Preface to the Second Edition xiii
Acknowledgments xv
1 The Course of German History 1
Part I A Divided Society: The Weimar Republic and the Third Reich 13
2 The Weimar Republic: Origins and Orientations 15
3 The Collapse of Democracy and the Rise of Hitler 42
4 A 'National Community'? State, Economy and Society, 1933-1939 60
5 War, Extermination and Defeat 85
Part II The Divided Nation: The Two Germanies, 1945-1990 119
6 Occupation and Division, 1945-49 121
7 Crystallization and Consolidation, 1949-61 152
8 Transformation and the 'Established Phase', 1961-88 175
9 Diverging Societies 195
10 Politics and the State 214
11 Dissent and Opposition 231
12 Diverging Cultures and National Identities? 252
13 The East German Revolution and the End of the Postwar Era 274
Part III The Divided Century 297
14 The Berlin Republic 299
15 Tension and Transformation in Twentieth-Century Germany 325
Notes 344
Select Bibliography of English-Language Works 362
Index 371
