Lessons for Others? : International Perspectives on the Franco-German Relationship

Following decades of hostility and tragedy, Germany and France have enjoyed over a half century of reconciliation, partnership, and deepening integration.

This volume explores the Franco-German partnership for lessons for other bilateral relationships, from Eastern Europe to the Middle East to East Asia. The authors address a number of questions: What lessons may French-German efforts at reconciliation offer to other sensitive bilateral relations?

What might other countries learn from the Franco-German experience of open borders and deep economic integration?

Where have French and German efforts to integrate military units and forge common approaches to mutual security challenges been successful, and where has progress been difficult?

In all of these areas, how important is political leadership?

How relevant might it be to other powers as they consider their own bilateral relationships?Contributors include Antoine Vion (Aix-Marseille University), Raymond Cohen (Hebrew University), Daqing Yang (George Washington University), Tamas Novak (Center for Transatlantic Relations), Zubair Iqbal (Middle East Institute), Steven Kramer (National Defense University), Jan Jires (Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic), Ayse Kadayifci-Orellana (American University), Jae-Jung Suh (SAIS), and Lanxin Xiang (Transatlantic Academy).