'Mögen Sie eigentlich die Amerikaner?' - The historical development of anti-Americanism in Germany

The historical development of anti-Americanism in Germany

Master's Thesis from the year 2008 in the subject Sociology - Culture, Technology, Peoples / Nations, grade: 1,3, University of Applied Sciences Fulda, 77 entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The idea to write about the development of anti-American resentment in Germany derived mainly from the growing negative attitudes toward the USA that emerged in Germany during the years of the George W. Bush administration and the war in Iraq. It seems that never before had there been an American president that caused so much criticism and opposition among politicians and the public in Germany. The widespread antipathy seems unprecedented in history so far and the politicial discrepancies and disputes put the longstanding partnership to the test. Although anti-American resentment is not a specific German phenomenon the recent tensions in Germany have been particularly strong and were displayed more obvious compared to other European countries. One important reason for this is certainly the historical connection between the two countries. Germany lost two wars against America and was occupied by U.S. military forces for about forty years. This has fundamentally shaped German opinions and attitudes. Generally, it can be stated that Germany and the United States are bound together culturally, historically, politically and economically in many ways. About 46 million Americans claim a German ancestry and about 16 million American soldiers who have lived in Germany since the end of the Second World War have profoundly influenced German society. Today, the USA is the most important trading partner of Germany outside the European Union and American companies are the second largest investors in Germany. The official relationship between the two is described by the German government as 'bound by a robust friendship founded on shared experience, values and interests' (Auswärtiges Amt: March 2008). As the relationship of the two countries has thus always been of great importance on many levels and will continue to play a decisive role in the future, it is crucial to examine this development of the past and present anti-American resentment among Germans in more detail. This way, predictions for the future relationship can be made as well as possible solutions for a better understanding be suggested in order to avoid such strong fallouts that were to be found in recent years.