▼ This thesis will explain the evolution of German political identity from the middle of the twentieth century to the present. It evaluates four different explanations for changes in this identity. Chapter one describes German political identity from the country's inception as a democracy in 1949 as well as German political identity today. From there, the chapter outlines three explanations for changes in political identity: the rise in German power, based on the theory of realism; Germany's central role in the European Union; and generational value changes, based on Inglehart's theory of post-materialism. These three explanations for Germany's political identity account for parts but not all of Germany's contemporary identity today. The missing element, anti-authoritarianism, can be understood by examining the German Peace Movement of the 1980s. The second chapter provides a much richer explanation of changing political values in Germany by examining the history of this movement and the ideas that influenced its leading figures. This chapter outlines the rise of the “68er generation” of activists and the intellectual roots of the movement found in the ideas of leading Marxist scholars. It then examines the rise of the 1980s protests and the ideas of the Greens, explaining how their ideas challenged the existing political identity as well as German policies. Finally, the chapter concludes by arguing that the success of the Green protests and their institutionalization as a political party have changed German political identity today, as seen by the adoption of these ideas by other political parties and in German foreign policies. Advisors/Committee Members: Simon, Marc.

▼ In the 1970s, West Germany experienced a wave of terrorism that was like nothing known there previously. Most of the terror emerged from a small group that called itself the Rote Armee Fraktion, Red Army Faction (RAF). Though many guerrilla groupings formed in West Germany in the 1970s, the RAF was the most influential and had the most staying-power. The group, which officially disbanded in 1998, after five years of inactivity, could claim thirty-four deaths and numerous injuries The death toll and the various kidnappings and robberies are only part of the RAF's story. The group always remained numerically small, but their presence was felt throughout the Federal Republic, as wanted posters and continual public discourse contributed to a strong, almost tangible presence. In this text, I explore the founding of the group in the greater West German context. The RAF members believed that they could dismantle the international systems of imperialism and capitalism, in order for a Marxist-Leninist revolution to take place. The group quickly moved from words to violence, and the young West German state was tested. The longevity of the group, in the minds of Germans, will be explored in this work. Dozens of literary works have been inspired by the RAF, and RAF-themed merchandise sells to this day. The group's impact on popular culture will be considered after a socio-political and historical study of the group's formation and actions. Advisors/Committee Members: Foell, Kristie.