THE GERMAN QUESTION, THE UNIFICATION OF EUROPE, AND THE EUROPEAN MARKET STRATEGIES OF GERMANY CHEMICAL AND ELECTRICAL INDUSTRIES, 1900-1992

Recent events in Europe have given rise to renewed speculation about t he possible economic threat of a resurgent united Germany. This articl e examines six leading German firms in the electrical and chemical ind ustries over the course of the twentieth century in an attempt to unde rstand the historical realities of the foreign market strategies of Ge rmany's largest firms. The author concludes that the changed configura tion of international markets, the post-Second World War ''Americaniza tion'' of German management, and the growing perception of a ''Europea n home market'' have combined to remove the threat implicit in ''the G erman question.''