Power and Influence after the Cold War: Germany in East-Central Europe

Challenging conventional wisdom about German dominance in the new Europe, this study presents a new approach to the question of power and influence after the Cold War. Inspired by the debate over German hegemony and drawing on intensive fieldwork, Ann L. Phillips develops two original cases of German relations with East-Central Europe to test competing arguments. As she convincingly demonstrates, the politics of reconciliation and the activities of German party-affiliated foundations illustrate German engagement in the region in its dual faces: restraint and projection. The author uses the less-developed literature on reciprocal influences of domestic politics and the international environment to frame her analysis. These two cases provide evidence not only of the intersection of domestic politics and international relations but of when and how one trumps the other. Contributing to the theoretical debate, Phillips argues that this interplay explains the divergent trajectories bilateral relations have taken since 1990 in ways that more traditional neo-realist or liberal approaches could not. The author’s fresh perspective and new evidence demonstrate that East-Central European states play a much greater role in the influence equation than they did in the past.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Debates about German Foreign Policy Chapter 3: The Politics of Reconciliation, I Chapter 4: The Politics of Reconciliation, II Chapter 5: Agents of Projection: German Political Foundations Chapter 6: German Political Foundations in Central-East Europe Chapter 7: Conclusions

About the Author :
Ann L. Phillips is an AAAS Diplomacy Fellow at the Bureau for Policy Program Coordination and a fellow at USAID.

Review :
A lucidly researched study which extends beyond mono-casual approaches. Ann Phillips's book is an important contribution to a small but burgeoning literature on the role of united Germany in the new Europe. This book is a valuable contribution to our understanding of German-ECE relations. This thoughtful and well-researched study examines the questions of what constitutes power in the new Europe, how it can be translated into influence, and where the line is between influence and hegemony. The author's research is solidly illustrated and well arranged, with access to internal documents and more than a hundred interviews with important players in the four countries considered in the book. A unique approach to understanding post–Cold War German foreign policy even into this new era. Phillips' examination of German levels of influence in East Central Europe breaks down the widespread stereotype of a Berlin Republic, in conjunction with German business, intent on reestablishing political and economic control in its hinterland. A compact, insightfully written book with a well-defined research question and clear findings. It is to be strongly recommended to graduate and undergraduate students and scholars of German politics and contemporary European history.