ABSTRACT
Back in 1989, many anticipated that the end of the Cold War would usher in the ‘end of history’ characterized by the victory of democracy and capitalism. At the thirtieth anniversary of this momentous event, this book challenges this assumption. It studies the most recent era of contemporary European history in order to analyse the impact, consequences and legacy of the end of the Cold War for Western Europe. Bringing together leading scholars on the topic, the volume answers the question of how the end of the Cold War has affected Western Europe and reveals how it accelerated and reinforced processes that shaped the fragile (geo-)political and economic order of the continent today.
In four thematic sections, the book analyses the changing position of Germany in Europe; studies the transformation of neoliberal capitalism; answers the question how Western Europe faced the geopolitical challenges after the Berlin Wall came down; and investigates the crisis of representative democracy. As such, the book provides a comprehensive and novel historical perspective on Europe since the late 1980s.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|1 pages
A new Germany in a new Europe
chapter 1|9 pages
Germany and Europe after 1989
chapter 2|17 pages
The view from Benjamin Franklin Strasse
part II|1 pages
Neoliberalism in and beyond the nation-state
chapter 8|14 pages
A profitable friendship, still? Town twinning between Eastern and Western European cities before and after 1989
part III|1 pages
Remaking Europe after 1989
chapter 10|17 pages
The future that once was 1989, the EU’s eastward enlargement, and democracy’s missed chances
chapter 11|17 pages
A missed opportunity for a new Europe?
chapter 12|17 pages
The reluctant soft power
part IV|1 pages
Democracy between triumph and crisis since 1989