ABSTRACT

Germany occupies a central position in Europe, and has common frontiers with nine European states-Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands-more than any other country except Russia. Whenever Germany has been united it has wielded enormous power owing to its large population, economic might and military strength, factors which combine to give Germany’s political leaders great influence, and which have in the past seemed to threaten its smaller neighbours and to challenge other leading European powers.