‘The constant search, however noble or necessary, for the wickedness of the covert neo-Nazi has blinded us to the pernicious underside of the reformed German liberal…’

Peter O’Brien’s controversial study of contemporary Germany looks at mounting fears of a resurgent xenophobic nationalism, arguing that the problem has been misinterpreted. The real danger, he argues, is the entrenched liberalism which holds German nationalism in check.

O’Brien traces among West Germany’s political elites the appeal and uses of ‘technocratic liberalism,’ which, he argues, overzealously protects Germany’s liberal democracy to the detriment of minority groups who are denied full political participation.

This lively and original book will appeal to all those concerned by accounts of the rising tide of nationalism in Germany and elsewhere in Europe. It will be essential reading for students of German history, politics, and society.

The Author

Peter O’Brien is Associate Professor of Political Science at Trinity University, San Antonio, Texas.