The German Question and Europe: A History

"What and where is Germany?" This question, posed by Goethe and Schiller in 1797, has been one of the crucial issues in European politics. It has had tremendous consequences over past two centuries and even now, long after the reunification of Germany, the question remains in the background, although in a somewhat changed form. Peter Alter's new study traces the evolution of the German question in its European context and through its various guises, from pre-unification times, through the Bismarckian and Wilhelmine empire to dictatorship, partition, and eventual reunification. His astute analysis provides important insights on both modern history and the political future of Europe.