The "German question" has been at the heart of European politics since 1800 and of significance for an even longer period. It has acquired a fresh stimulus from German reunification. The "question" itself has gone through many transformations, but at root it has always concerned the identity, ambition and influence of those lands historically at the centre of the Holy Roman Empire. As can be imagined, it has rarely remained a purely German issue - the widespread concern that greeted the prospect of a reunited Germany demonstrated that. This volume, then, is about matters that have European and even world significance as well as a purely domestic dimension. It follows a chronological sequence but its thrust is analytical rather than narrative, and provides a framework for understanding many of the key issues in European history over the past 200 years.