German Question in British and American Theses in the second half of the Twentieth Century

The German question was a key issue in British and American foreign policy after the WWII. The Anglo-Saxon intellectual tradition, which is distinguished by its pragmatism, has fostered a close interconnection between the discipline of historiography and the pursuit of contemporary foreign policy objectives. A comparative analysis of dissertation research in Great Britain and the United States enables the tracing of the methodological evolution amongst international authors, while simultaneously elucidating the priorities of British and American policy in Germany. The evaluation of the German question by British and American scholars in the post-war era is a crucial element in the comprehension of their strategic objectives in Europe and the contemporary dynamics of global politics. The issue under discussion has not been the subject of in-depth investigation within the Russian academic community. The evidence presented is largely derived from doctoral dissertations completed at British and American universities in the years following the Second World War. The author outlines the core elements of the research methodology, elucidates the impact of historical events and processes on the selection of dissertation subjects, and illuminates the distinctive characteristics of doctoral students’ work in comparison with the publications of established, senior scholars who have shaped the foundations of Anglo-American historiography.