The reconciliation of France and Germany is a landmark in the history of the 20th century. Between 1870 and 1950, they fought three wars. Then, as founders of the European Community they became linked by increasingly close economic, political, and cultural ties. Friend asserts that it is no exaggeration to say that the French-German relationship has been central to the history of Western Europe in the second half of the 20th century.

Friend provides a largely chronological account of the bilateral relation from the turbulence of unification through the years when an enlarged EU sought new institutions of governance. He then examines the basis of the Franco-German relationship today and looks to future changes. As Germany has become the economic giant of Europe, particularly after the reunification of West and East Germany, the relationship has changed, and Friend explores how this unequal but unavoidable partnership has adapted. An important guide for policy makers as well as scholars and students involved with contemporary European Studies.