Germans to the Front: West German Rearmament in the Adenauer Era / Edition 3

by David Clay Large

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807845394
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	12/11/1995
Edition description:	3
Pages:	341
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.76(d)

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.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

A work that is both comprehensive and comprehensible. . . . Although other historians have examined the domestic struggle in the Federal Republic, none has done it quite as well as Large.—International History Review



Thoroughly researched, balanced in its analysis, superbly written, 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: chancellor, president, parliament, churches, and federal court.—American Historical Review



An important contribution to a broader exploration of how West Germans were defined by others and defined themselves in the first decade of their history.—Central European History



Compelling in its understanding of the complexity of a debate at the cross-roads of domestic, foreign, economic, political and security considerations.—German History



An extremely impressive, well-written, and well-researched account of a critical period in the history of modern Germany and the Cold War. [This] is an important book for all who wish to understand how the Germans responded to the American call for arms only five years after their most bitter defeat.—Thomas Schwartz, Vanderbilt University

Editorial Reviews

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

"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"

A work that is both comprehensive and comprehensible.

"International History Review"

An important contribution.

"Central European History"

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"

From the Publisher