Germany and United States Relations

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Germany and United States Relations

Starting in 1945 with the defeat of Germany in World War Two and ending with the reunification of Germany in 1990, America has played a large role in the lives of the Germans. America was said to be Germany’s "protector, patron, and partner". Because of this, Germany has had a special relationship with America, and their relationship has evolved throughout the years during periods of struggle in Germany. This partnership of countries has dealt with many issues such as the results of World War Two, the Berlin Airlift, the Cold War, the developing West Germany and it’s struggle against "the East", the fall of the Berlin Wall (Die Mauer) in 1989, and the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. It has well been many years since the most recent major event in Germany, reunification, but American troops are still stationed in Germany and Germany still maintains it’s close ties to the United States. However, recently, it has been questioned whether or not Germany will continue to keep it’s special relationship with the United States, perhaps they are drifting apart? All of the events in the history of Germany in which the Americans played a large role were the foundations in which Germany and the United States built their relationship. Now since the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall, will it all collapse?

Since 1945, approximately sixteen million American Soldiers and their families have been stationed in Germany. (Smyser,97) The Germans were never hostile towards the Americans, they were considered their friends and interacted with each other on a daily basis. After Germany’s defeat in World War Two, America occupied the defeated Germany and the Germans relied on Ame...

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...ries must accept that they are different and respect each other’s differences. With all the history of these two countries, I don’t think that they’ll ever lose the bond that they share. Clinton and Kohl have maintained a good relationship over the years. A new Chancellor of Germany has just been elected, Gerhard Schröder and many people have faith that he will keep up the good relations with the United States of America.

Bibliography

Anderson, Jim. "Germany and America- friendly but uncertain hands across the sea". Deutsche Press-Agentur, April 1997.

Anderson, Jim. "Bumps on the German-America road ahead: NATO Middle East". Deutsche Press-Agentur, April 1997.

Smyser, W.R. Germany and America. Westview Press: SanFrancisco, 1993.

Sutton, Douglas. "Uneasy new era as Germany, U.S. start to redefine relationship". Deutsche Press-Agentur, November 1997.

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