Germany in the Middle of Europe: 500 Years of Struggle for War and Peace Contemporary German foreign policy is based on historical traditions. For centuries, the centre of Europe was a place of conflict over peace and supremacy. War and violence were - and are - part of this history. In the spotlight of the turn of the era, a book of the highest topicality. As important as a defensible Bundeswehr is, foreign policy and diplomacy must not take a back seat if we want to do justice to the peace requirement of the Basic Law. In his strong historical outline, Eckart Conze combines the striving for peace with the violence of war. From a historical perspective, it is about the question of German interests and Germany's role in Europe and the world. Biography