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Lukas Paul Schmelter re-examines the debate over West German Ostpolitik, focusing on Franz Josef Strauss and his approach to foreign policy in the 1960s and early 1970s. He argues that Strauss’ opposition to Brandt’s eastern policy was incited by an alternative strategic concept, centred on European federal union, political integration, and a Europeanised response to détente and the German question. Drawing on archival research, Opposing Ostpolitik situates Strauss within the wider history of Cold War strategy, European integration, and the contested future direction of the Federal Republic.
“The work is elegantly written, concise in its wording and clear in its judgement. It makes a significant contribution to contemporary historical research.” • Ulrich Schlie, University of Bonn
“Franz Josef Strauss was controversial in his lifetime, and his memory continues to polarize. With the passage of time, we can now develop a clearer sense of his contributions to German, European, and transatlantic policy. This book makes an important contribution to our understanding of Strauss’s strategic thinking during the Cold War while also offering important insights for the contemporary world.&trdquo; • Ronald J. Granieri, US Army War College
Lukas Paul Schmelter graduated from the London School of Economics with a Bachelor’s degree in Government and History, and went on to complete a Master’s degree in Modern European History at the University of Cambridge (Peterhouse) and a Master in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University, where he was a Schwarzman Scholar. He completed a PhD in History at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. From 2021 to 2022 he was an Ernest May Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. He has held scholarships from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the German Academic Merit Foundation.
Introduction: Why Strauss?
Chapter 1. ‘Peace Impossible, War Improbable’: The Cold War in the 1960s
Chapter 2. Strauss’ ‘Grand Design’: European Federal Union as the ‘Skeleton Key’
Chapter 3. The Consistency of Strauss’ European Thinking
Chapter 4. State of Flux: Strauss in the Context of West German Politics
Chapter 5. The Advent of ‘New Ostpolitik’
Chapter 6. Strauss in Opposition, 1969-1972: Assault, Frustration and Retreat
Conclusions
Bibliography
Index