The Making of German Democracy West Germany in the Adenauer Era, 1945-65

This is the first English language source reader that deals with post-war (West) Germany. The sources, which include official Allied and German documents, parliamentary debates, contemporary newspapers articles, diaries and a large number of previously unpublished archival materials, allow for the first time a source-based study of post-war Germany for non-German speakers. The sources allow an assessment of the changes of Allied policy in the immediate post-war years which led to the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany; explain the country’s role in the intensifying Cold War; and encourage a re-evaluation of the "economic miracle" and whether the Federal Republic signified a "new start" for Germany or a "restoration" of the old social forces and patterns. The book will be of great benefit to students of German post-war history at all levels. It offers a unique opportunity for teachers and lecturers to go well beyond the traditional sources explaining German History and the Cold War.