The "German question" has been at the heart of European politics since
1800 and of significance for an even longer period. It has acquired a
fresh stimulus from German reunification. The "question" itself has gone
through many transformations, but at root it has always concerned the
identity, ambition and influence of those lands historically at the
centre of the Holy Roman Empire. As can be imagined, it has rarely
remained a purely German issue - the widespread concern that greeted the
prospect of a reunited Germany demonstrated that. This volume, then, is
about matters that have European and even world significance as well as
a purely domestic dimension. It follows a chronological sequence but
its thrust is analytical rather than narrative, and provides a framework
for understanding many of the key issues in European history over the
past 200 years.

Peter Alter is at University of Duisburg.