From Rapallo to Reunification: Russia and Germany in the Twentieth Century

Abstract

The interaction between Russia and Germany has been one of the defining international relationships of the twentieth century, one that will continue to influence the architecture of Europe in the twenty-first century. This chapter discusses Germany's role in the rise and fall of Soviet power. It examines the evolution of Russian-German relations both before and after the establishment of Soviet power and analysis the triangular relationship among the two German states and the USSR from 1949 to 1990. The chapter reviews the new Russian-German relationship since the fall of the Soviet Union. It explores the ways in which Germany has influenced Russia's perceptions of its national interest, how the Germans have enhanced Soviet security, and the extent to which that security was undermined. The division of Europe, predicated on the division of Germany, had defined Soviet security interests since 1949 and had been the justification for much of that nation's foreign policy.