Written in an accessible style and assuming no prior knowledge, the books in this series address the specific needs of students on language courses. Approaching the study of history from an interest in contemporary culture and society, each book offers a clear historical narrative and sets its country into a wider European context.



A knowledge of Germany and Austria's distinctive historical experience is essential for an understanding of these countries today. Beginning in 1814 with the Congress of Vienna, and ending in the 1990s with the consequences of German and European unification, this book focuses on political history and traces the development of liberal parliamentary democracy in Germany and Austria through to the modern Federal Republic of Germany and Second Austrian Republic.



The eight chapters, each of which begins with a brief overview of the main developments in European history, are arranged chronologically. Within the chapters, the emphasis is on understanding major developments, their causes, and the relationships between them. Inserts embedded in the text provide details of key concepts, while short extracts from contemporary German texts in the original provide a flavour of the ideas developed. The text also includes topics for discussion on each chapter and a combined glossary of German terms/index.