Using the interpretative framework of the English School of international relations, the thesis explores the extent to which the inter-Allied treatment of the German Question during the 1943-8 period influenced the making of the post-war international order. Linking international relations theory with historical research, the thesis reinstates the importance of the resolution of the German Question as the most influential issue in the development of the post-war international order. The thesis explores the institutionalisation of international relations and the dynamic interaction of the legal, consensual and conflictual elements involved in the treatment of the German Question, portraying them as the main informative aspects of the origins of the Cold War international order. Employing the 'trilateral approach' espoused by Martin Wight, the thesis tackles the Realist aspects of the treatment of the German Question by analysing superpower interaction in relation to the enforcement of their structural interests and the socialisation of conflict at occupation and diplomatic level. The thesis evaluates the transformation which occurred in Germany and the post-war international order due to the inter-Allied work on denazification. The thesis also analyses the Rationalist aspects of superpower interaction, with particular emphasis on the legal and diplomatic framework which sustained not only the treatment of the German Question but also the general context of inter-Allied relations. The main conclusion of the thesis is that by restricting superpower intervention to specific spheres of influence, the treatment of the German Question contributed to the creation of a `pluralist plus' international order which inhibited a systemic disruption of the bipolar settlement imposed by the main Allies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:479269 |
| Date | January 2008 |
| Creators | Lewkowicz, Nicolas Abel |
| Publisher | University of Nottingham |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11168/ |
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