Review

General Books

Greenwood Press, which has developed a solid reputation for producing valuable reference works and interesting historical monographs, is in the process of publishing an attractive series of Guides to Historical Events of the Twentieth Century. These books, including The Unification of Germany, 1989-1990, have been designed for the non-specialist, although many teachers and students of history will be impressed by what they will discover in these volumes, which are all organized in a standard format. Following a five-page chronology of major events, Leiby devotes seven chapters to explaining and analyzing relevant topics pertaining to the unification episode, whose rapid progress surprised participants and observers alike. His first chapter consists of a first rate overview of German conditions from the close of World War II to the completion of the "Gentle Revolution." He discusses the development of the two Germanys within the context of the Cold War, including the strengths and weaknesses of both governments. In particular he makes clear why the East German Republic (GDR), the Soviet Union's most dependable ally, lacked the qualities to implement reforms when the Gorbachev era began in Moscow, and as a result many East German citizens, "the best and the brightest," responded with their feet after border crossings became possible. This flight, which had a substantial destabilizing effect on the GDR, is the subject of the second chapter. Although reasons for the exodus varied, Leiby ascertains that economic conditions influenced the actions of most of the emigrants. His profile of these refugees reveals that some of them returned to the GDR because they had trouble adjusting to the West German lifestyle. Actually the majority of East Germans had no plans for leaving, which suggests to the author that they were primarily interested in reforming the Communist society. It was these individuals led by Protestant clergymen, who eventually toppled the regime. In his third chapter Leiby discusses the special arrangement between the GDR government and the Protestant church, which allowed dissidents to have a safe haven for their activities. However, the pastors' enthusiasm for change began to diminish when they realized that the rapid pace of integration was replacing Marxist political oppression with the "economic tyranny of capitalism."	1
Finalizing the German unification was the responsibility of the four World War II partners with some vital assistance from West German officials, who resolved an extremely complex matter in only two months. Focusing on this diplomatic achievement in chapter five, Leiby calls attention to the bribery and to the good fortune and the skillful negotiations conducted by men like James A. Baker, Edward Shevardnadze and Hans-Dietrich Genscher, which created a new European political reality and made the "age-old German problem look quite easy." On the other hand, economic, social and intellectual integration was a completely different matter. That the introduction of capitalism created a human disaster for the East German society is explored by Leiby in chapter five. Unfortunately, issues like severe unemployment continue to plague the eastern provinces, where the inhabitants have come to think of themselves as second-class citizens. Leiby also devotes some attention to the debate over women's productive rights, which continue to divide East and West Germans, as does the manner in which the East German secret police organization (Stasi) was handled after unification was achieved. The fact that thousands of ordinary East Germans collaborated with the security authorities complicated the West German effort to achieve immediate justice. What appeared like a thirst for revenge on the part of the westerners confirmed the belief held by many East Germans that the events of 1990 had produced annexation rather than unification.	2
In his concluding chapter Leiby reflects upon the unification in perspective. With regard to social integration, economic parity and intellectual compatibility, he opines that the new Germany is still in the process of evolving. While several major problems persist, he is optimistic that time and additional funds will resolve them. Moreover, he is convinced that a large majority of the German population rejects the racist and imperialist traditions. Germany, in his view, has the opportunity to become the next economic superpower and provide the link between the West and Eastern European markets if future generations "remember the lessons of their history." After completing his essays, Leiby devotes the second part of the book to a variety of reference features that will be extremely useful in the classroom; these include some memorable photographs, ten succinct biographies of German personalities who contributed to unification, thirteen pertinent primary documents, a glossary of terms and a selective annotated bibliography of the best works in English. It should also be noted that Leiby's study would be an ideal complement for other Greenwood guides focusing on The Cold War and The Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union. This is a series that should not be overlooked by academicians.	3
St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia   Thomas N. Keefe

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