The end of the Cold War posed a significant challenge to the dominant theories in International Relations. Most, if not all scholars are familiar with the narrative: the Neo-paradigms failed to predict or account for the fall of the Soviet Union. Lost to a significant degree in the academic and real world turmoil of the end of the Cold War was the reunification of Germany. Possibly due in part to the ‘naturalness’ of German reunification, the ramifications of the reconciliation of East and West Germany for the study of international security, foreign policy analysis, and IR theory in general have been overlooked. Recently released, previously unavailable material by the British Government highlights the resistance of British and French leaders to reunification. The opposition stands in contrast to general public support, support by the U.S., and noncommittal by the Soviets. This suggests ramifications for our understandings of how theories, particularly neorealism and constructivism, play out in the real world arena of international politics. It also highlights the importance of understanding, and theoretically appreciating, the internal dynamics of states that eventually play a role in shaping security and foreign policy.
