Germany

Andrew I. Port (Wayne State University, Detroit, MI)

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Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Polity Press
25 December 2025

History

Series: Polity Histories

Few countries are more haunted by the darker aspects of their history than Germany. Nazi crimes continue to cast a long shadow at home and abroad. Germans have nevertheless managed to put their violent, genocidal past behind them, creating a peaceful and prosperous democracy at the heart of Europe.

In this refreshing book, Andrew I. Port tells the story of that extraordinary transformation. Tracing the histories of the Eastern and Western halves of postwar Germany in tandem, he highlights their obvious differences and unexpected commonalities. This novel approach explains not only the country’s many accomplishments since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but also the challenges it has faced – from the difficulty of unifying two distinct societies to violent forms of xenophobia and the rise of extremist parties. Whether the Federal Republic remains a stable and successful power is the new ""German Question"" of the twenty-first century.

By: Andrew I. Port (Wayne State University Detroit MI)
Imprint: Polity Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 173mm, Width: 114mm, Spine: 23mm
Weight: 227g
ISBN: 9781509546671
ISBN 10: 1509546677
Series: Polity Histories
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 25 December 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Contents Introduction 1. Defeat (1945-1949) 2. Revival (1949-1961) 3. Consolidation (1961-1973) 4. Crisis (1973-1989) 5. Dis-Unity (1989-1998) 6. Normality? (1998-2024) Notes

Andrew I. Port is Professor of History at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Reviews for Germany

""An excellent primer to German history since 1945, this book integrates East and West into a single narrative, showing how both states grappled with similar challenges and how their solutions shaped the dynamics of unification. As Germany continues to wrestle with its role in Europe and the world, this book offers essential background to our present."" Lauren Stokes, Northwestern University ""In this elegant brief history, Andrew I. Port brings to life the movements, ideas and aspirations of East and West Germans since the end of the Second World War. For anyone interested in how history shapes the German present, this is essential reading."" Christopher Clark, Regius Professor of History, Cambridge University ""An illuminating new history. Andrew I. Port offers a surefooted account of the divergent, yet often parallel, trajectories of the two German states with interpretive skill and narrative ease."" Anna von der Goltz, Professor, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University