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Zusatztext a lively and readable story of the end of the GDR and German unification, using an impressive array of newspaper and journal sources, contemporary memoirs and accounts, and some GDR archival material ... His discussion of the political and economic developments is generally shrewd. Jarausch has - in collaboration with Volker Gransow - also performed the very useful task of producing a volume of documents on German unification, now in excellent English translation. Informationen zum Autor Konrad H. Jarausch is the Lurcy Professor of European Civilization at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and author or editor of numerous books including In Search of a Liberal Germany: Studies in the History of German Liberalism (Oxford, 1990). Klappentext An ideal source for general readers and students, "The Rush to German Unity" explores whether solving the old German problem (by bringing down the Berlin Wall) has merely created new difficulties for Germany and challenges to overcome. Zusammenfassung The bringing down of the Berlin Wall is one of the most vivid images and historical events of the late twentieth century. The reunification of Germany has transformed the face of Europe. In one stunning year, two separate states with clashing ideologies, hostile armies, competing economies, and incompatible social systems merged into one. The speed and extent of the reunification was so great that many people are still trying to understand the events. Initial elation has given way to the realities and problems posed in reuniting two such different systems. The Rush to German Unity presents a clear historical reconstruction of the confusing events. It focuses on the dramatic experiences of the East German people but also explores the decisions of the West German elite. Konrad H. Jarausch draws on the rich sources produced by the collapse of the GDR and on the public debate in the FRG. Beginning with vivid media images, the text probes the background of a problem, traces its treatment and resolution and then reflects on its implications. Combining an insider's insights with an outsider's detachment, the interpretation balances the celebratory and the catastrophic views. The unification process was democratic, peaceful and negotiated. But the merger was also bureaucratic, capitalistic and one-sided. Popular pressures and political manipulation combined to create a rush to unity that threatened to escape control. The revolution moved from a civic rising to a national movement and ended up as reconstruction from the outside. An ideal source for general readers and students, The Rush to German Unity explores whether solving the old German problem has merely created new difficulties. Inhaltsverzeichnis Abbreviated Contents: Introduction: The German Upheaval Part One: The People's Rise 1: Running Away 2: Protesting for Freedom 3: Overthrowing Post-Stalinist Rule Part Two: The Masses Choose Unity 4: Searching for a Third Way 5: Abandoning the Socialist Dream 6: Voting for a Better Life Part Three: The Easterners Join the West 7: Uniting the Currencies 8: Negotiating Accession 9: Forging Unity Conclusion Selected Bibliography, Notes and Index ...
