The Foreign Policy Processes in France and Germany in the Post-cold War Era - Essay Example

Running from the end of the Second World War until the 1980s (Walker, 1995). The Cold War was a period of intense fear and uncertainty about the future (May, 2008). Much of the world was united by a common foe in the USSR, and the threat of nuclear war was a prominent and driving concern. Following the war, there was a strong need for states to re-establish themselves on the world stage, especially in terms of foreign policy. The collapse of the Soviet Union meant that new world order was necessary, as there was no longer the bipolarity of two warring superpowers (Ikenberry, 1996). Instead, the new world could be considered in one of two ways.

Either unipolar, with the United States representing the centre of the world's power and the only superpower, or multipolar, where there are many different centers of power, including Japan, Germany and China (Krauthammer, 1990). Many of the previously reliable reference points from which different states developed their foreign policy were gone, and thus the need to determine new areas of reference and new policies were essential (Scott, 1998). There was no longer a common enemy of the Russians or a single unifying thread. Communism was also quickly collapsing, with the Berlin Wall being brought down around a year after the Cold War finished. This represented a large change worldwide and one that had to be contended with in policy decisions for each government.

The end of the Cold War resulted in a dramatic fall in the prevalence of communism worldwide and this caused a significant shift in the balance of power (Hopmann, 1994). As nations attempted to build new alliances and to secure current ones, foreign policy became one of the most important factors on the agendas of different nations. The German nation suffered from the limitation of stigmatism following the Second World War and this influenced their foreign policy. France was not subject to the same limitation and as a consequence had more freedom in their decisions regarding foreign policy. Following the Cold War, it was unknown whether multiple world powers would emerge, or whether the United States would remain as the sole superpower.

From the German perspective, there was the idea that Germany could emerge to be one of the new superpowers, or Europe in general (Krauthammer, 1990). One of the biggest changes that the end of the Cold War brought about for Germany and for Europe, in general, was the bringing down of the Berlin Wall. Like the end of the Cold War, this signified the collapse of Soviet power (Van Evera, 1990). This lifted the threat of war that had been present in Europe for more than 40 years (Mearsheimer, 1990). Unification of East and West Germany occurred within a year of the end of the Cold War, and the country moved its focus back to the international environment (Kaiser). One important issue for Germany was to decide whether they would be involved in nuclear weapons. This is a reflection of traditional concerns about security, and additionally may be related to a desire to be independent and to develop a distinctive ‘German’ identity (Gose, 1996). Germany was faced with an additional problem. It was not long after the Second World War, and much of the world was still wary about the country. As a consequence, their foreign policy had to take this into account. They could not focus on security to such an extent that it made them appear as a threat to other countries. Germany’s foreign policy focused on remaining a civilian entity, rather than building military might, and consequently, did not move towards becoming a nuclear power (Kaiser).

Since the cold war, French foreign policy has focused on a need for self-identity and for distinct French values and views (Belkin, 2011). French foreign policy has focused primarily on discourse and diplomacy, rather than on economic or military power. Following the Cold War, France did not have a strong position and entertained foreign-policy goals that appeared extreme and unrealistic. The nation was divided internally and had few economic resources (Hitchcock, 1998). While both countries have had the approach of trying to establish a distinct cultural identity through foreign policy, this was a more challenging task for Germany who was faced with distrust and stigmatism that stemmed from the Second World War. While France was able to pursue its own foreign policy, Germany was left with little choice but to follow a significantly Western-based philosophy. This resulted in Germany becoming involved in international organizations such as the European Union (Webber, 2001).

Germany’s approach to foreign policy following the Cold War can be considered to be a ‘normal’ approach. Like France, they have not focused on building weaponry or on becoming a military power. Instead, Germany has aimed at establishing peaceful relations and appearing a good neighbor to the countries of the world. Additionally, they have worked to create a distinct cultural identity. Both states followed a foreign policy that led to them remaining culturally distinct, but also not becoming a superpower in any respect, especially not in terms of military power or economic dominance.