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Political parties and the making of foreign policy – the case of the Federal Republic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 October 2009

W. E. Paterson
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Extract

There have been three dominant approaches specific to the study of the foreign policy of the Federal Republic. Perhaps the most influential has concentrated on relating the dynamics of West German foreign policy to changing inter and intra bloc relationships. This approach has started from the premise that both German states are simultaneously embedded in their respective bloc systems and occupy a crucial strategic position at the point where these blocs directly impinge on each other. It has therefore cast its explanation in terms of inter and intra bloc relationships.

Type
Research Article
Information
Review of International Studies , Volume 7 , Issue 4 , October 1981 , pp. 227 - 235
Copyright
Copyright © British International Studies Association 1981

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References

1. Some studies on West German foreign policy employ West Germany as a case study in a more general approach. The most useful example is Hanrieder, Wolfram, West German Foreign Policy 1949–63: International Pressure and Domestic Response (Stanford, Calif., 1967)Google Scholar.

2. See esp. Windsor, P., Germany and the Management of Detente (London, 1971)Google Scholar; Kaiser, K., Germany Foreign Policy in Transition (London, 1968)Google Scholar.

3. See esp. Gabbe, Jorg, Parteien und Nation—Zur Rolle des Nationalbewusstseins fiir die politischen Grundorientierungen der Parteien in der Grundungsphase der BRD (Verlag Anton Hain, meisenheim am Glan, 1976)Google Scholar; Besson, Waldemar, Die Aussenpolitik der Bundesrepublik Erfahrungen and Masstdbe (Munich, 1970)Google Scholar; Besson, Waldemar, The Federal Republic's National Interest, 21, Aussenpolitik, No. 2 (1970), pp. 123–135Google Scholar; Paterson, W. E., ‘Foreign Policy and Stability in West Germany’, International Affairs, (1973), pp. 413–430CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Schweigler, Gebhart L., National Consciousness in Divided Germany (London, 1975)Google Scholar; Ibid. A New Political Giant? West German Foreign Policy in the I970's The World Today, (1975), pp. 134–141Google Scholar.

4. See esp. Groan, Melvin, ‘Party Politics and the Wall’, Survey, No. 3 (1966), pp. 38–47Google Scholar.

5. Op. cit. footnote 1.

6. Ashkenasi, A., Reformpartei and Aussenpolitik (Cologne, 1968), p.204CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

7. See esp. Allison, Graham T., The Essence of Decision (Boston, 1971)Google Scholar.

8. King, Anthony, ‘Political Parties in Western Democracies’, Polity, (1969), pp. 112–141Google Scholar.

9. There have of course been many West German theses labouring the discrepancy between the foreign policy of the SPD and socialist theory.

10. Rose identified the socialist principles as a belief in international cooperation, class consciousness in foreign affairs, supranationalism and anti-militarism.

11. See esp. Eisner, Erich, Das Europdische Konzept von F. J. Strauss (Verlag Anton Hain, Meisenheim am Glan, 1975)Google Scholar; Bischoff, Dettlef, Die Aussenpolitische Konzeption der CSU und Ihre Durchsetzung in der Grossen Koalition, Phd (Berlin, 1972)Google Scholar; Ashkenasi, A., Modern German Nationalism (New York, 1976), pp. 161–188Google Scholar; Mintzel, A., Geschichte der CSU (Westdeutscher Verlag, 1977), pp.272–297CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

12. My paper on ‘Problems of Party Government in West Germany’ to be published in Party Government and Political Culture in Western Germany (London, 1981)Google Scholar.

13. This was very apparent in the 1950s and 1960s, but is still apparent in sensitive appointments, e.g. the appointment of Klaus Schiitz as German Ambassador to Israel.

14. The CDU/CSU were able to have some influence on the ‘Ostpolitik’ of the SPD/FDP government of 1969–72 given the extremely precarious majority possessed by the government. On some aspects of foreign policy it is necessary for the government to have a majority in the Bundesrat. This gives the opposition a second chance to influence the government since it happens quite often (as at present) that the opposition party to the federal government is in power in a majority of the states and this disposes of a majority in the Bundesrat. An added complication is posed by the referral of treaties to the Bundesverfassungsgericht.

15. See Ackerman, Paul, Der Deutsche Bauernverband im Politischen Krdftespiel der Bundesrepublik (Tubingen, 1970)Google Scholar.

16. Allemann, F. R., Bonns Verschrdnkte Fronten: Parteien-System und Internationale Politik (Der Monat, February 1966), pp.7–16Google Scholar.

17. Heidenheimer, A. J., ‘Foreign Policy and Party Discipline in the CDU’, Parliamentary Affairs, iii (1959), pp.70–84CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

18. Paterson, W. E., ‘The Ostpolitik and Regime Stability in West Germany’ in Tilford, R. (ed.), The Ostpolitik and Political Change in Germany (Farnborough, 1975), pp.23–45Google Scholar.

19. See Mintzel, op. cit. footnote 12.

20. See Irving, R. E. M. and Paterson, W. E., ‘The West German Parliamentary Election of November 1972’, Parliamentary Affairs, No. 1 (1973), pp. 218–239Google Scholar.

21. Neumann, S. in Neumann, S. (ed.), Modern Political Parties (Chicago, 1956), p.396Google Scholar.

22. See esp. unpublished Phd by Koppel, T., Sources of Changes in West German Ostpolitik (Wisconsin, 1972)Google Scholar.

23. Frankel, J., National Interest (London, 1970), pp.31–33CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

24. Paterson, W. E., The SPD and European Integration—A Study of Opposition in Foreign Affairs (London, 1973)Google Scholar.

25. Kirchheimer, Otto, ‘The Waning of Opposition in Parliamentary Regimes’, Social Research, (1957), pp.127–157Google Scholar.

26. See Giinther, K./Schmitz, K., Parteien und Gewerkschaften als Forschungsfeld (Bonn, Droste, 1977), p.68Google Scholar.

27. Schmitz, K., Deutsche Einheit und Europdische Integration, (Verlag Neue Gesellschaft GmbH, Bonn), 1978Google Scholar. Schmitz's work is based on access to more archival data than any other post war study of a political party and foreign policy.

28. Haacke, C., Die Ost Und Deutschlandpolitik der CDU/CSU Wege und Irrwege der Opposition Seit 1969 (Verlag Wissenschaft und Politik, Cologne), 1975Google Scholar; Pridham, G., ‘The Ostpolitik and the Opposition in West Germany’, In Tilford, op.cit. pp.45–58Google Scholar.

29. Appleton, Sheldon, ‘The Role of the Opposition in Foreign Policy Making’ in Merritt, R. L. (ed.), Foreign Policy Analysis (Boston, 1975), pp.55–59Google Scholar.