Germany, Poland and Europe. Conflict, co-operation and Europeanisation

Abstract:

Ever since the eighteenth century German-Polish relations have been the most troublesome in Europe. This work examines that relationship during the second half of the twentieth century, particularly during the post Cold-War era.

The book is organised over six chapters. The first chapter explores the concept of Europeanisation in the Polish-German context. Chapter two offers an historical background for the period between the creation and the break-up of the wartime Grand Coalition. The years up until the end of the Cold War are the focus of chapter three. The ambiguity and tension on the one hand coupled with consensus on the other in the period 1989-1991 are investigated in chapter four. The important issues of the relationship in the 1990s, namely EU and NATO, are the focus of chapter five. The final chapter examines the period 1998-2001 and the impact of EU accession and enlargement policies on the two countries.

The work will interest academics and students of Polish and German foreign policies, Europe’s international relations and European integration.

Marcin Zaborowski is Lecturer in European Politics at Aston University in Birmingham, UK and Research Fellow at the Centre for International Relations in Warsaw, Poland.