France and the German Question, 1945–1990

In the aftermath of the Second World War and for much of the Cold War, one of the most important issues facing European leaders was what diplomatic posture to take toward the successor states of Nazi Germany. This was perhaps felt no more keenly than in France, which had directly experienced German aggression yet sought to establish productive relations with both Germanys. Drawing on the most recent historiography and previously untapped archival sources, the contributions to this volume show how France's German policy was, for the duration of the Cold War, both more constructive and consequential than has previously been acknowledged by policy makers and scholars.