Trading Power: West Germany's Rise to Global Influence, 1963-1975

Trading Power explores how West Germany's political leaders navigated the transition from hard power to economic power, focusing on the successes and failures of the Bonn Republic in European, Atlantic, and world affairs.

Format: Hardback
Length: 475 pages
Publication date: 03 November 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Trading Power delves into the triumphs and setbacks of a remarkable generation of German political leaders as the Bonn Republic emerged as a significant player on the global stage. During the 1960s and 1970s, West Germans underwent a significant shift, relinquishing many aspects of hard power, notably nuclear weapons, and instead harnessing their economic might. Driven by a relentless pursuit of stability and growth, Bonn governments employed innovative strategies to combat inflation, thereby bolstering the international standing of the Deutsche Mark while challenging the established international monetary system. Germany's remarkable export prowess exerted a profound influence on the Soviet bloc, laying the foundation for a transformative Ostpolitik under the visionary leadership of Willy Brandt. Through a process of trial and error, the Federal Republic honed its ability to navigate complex relationships with key Western allies, ultimately ensuring Germany's centrality within institutions such as the European Council and the G-7, which emerged as the newly ascendant leadership frameworks of the West.

Weight: 858g
Dimension: 235 x 161 x 35 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108424646