Germany in Europe or Europe in Germany: An evaluation of the mutual interaction between German reunification and European integration from 1945 until 2009


Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi, Siyaset Bilimi ve Kamu Yönetimi Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2015

Öğrenci: UĞUR TEKİNER

Danışman: MEHMET OKYAYUZ

Özet:

The aim of the thesis is to analyse the mutual impact of the processes of the German reunification and European integration in the post-war era interchangeably, and specifically elaborate on the European Union experience of Germany from this period till 2009 Eurozone Debt Crisis. In this context, the focal point of the thesis will be to understand how German reunification actually emerged as an indispensable fact both for two separate German states and for the whole European continent. Given that the idea of European integration came into existence with the primary intention of answering the German Question, there has always existed a firm link between the German reunification and the European integration. Although the resolution of the German Question and the progress of European integration have experienced many ups and downs in their distinctive but mostly overlapping paths during the Cold War, they have always had a remarkable impact on each other which resulted in the advent of a reunited Germany in the context of the European Union. Under the shed light of all these points, throughout this thesis, the firm attachment among the German reunification and the European integration will be evaluated from different perspectives within the historical and contextual framework. Related to this target, the European Union experience of the enlarged Germany will be assessed thoroughly until 2009 Eurozone Crisis. Following that, the post-Cold War transformation of the European Union will be issued along with the incrementally rising importance of Germany within the EU.