ABSTRACT
Germany and Europe have a second chance to assure their true values in peace and freedom, and to do so under much more propitious conditions than in the age of crude nationalism prior to 1914. One advantage of the East-West conflict as far as the European community of states was concerned was that by bringing about the division of Germany it seemed to put an end to one of the fundamental problems of modern European history, namely the expansionary greatpower policy pursued by Germany. In Germany, there was also the satisfaction felt at the first successful – and peaceful – political "revolution" in German history. The restoration of a Germany constituted as a nation-state, and the tendency once again to revert to a context of national tradition is in line with the renaissance of the national that is taking place all over the East, and which, in many places, has long since mutated into militant nationalism.
