Shortly after the Second World War, Britain and Germany became again closely entangled in a set of multilateral alliances, such as the EC/EU and NATO, as well as in an ever-expanding web of transnational contacts, networks, and interactions. By contrast, the Anglo-German relationship to this day remains fraught when it comes to European integration: tensions over German reunification, the Maastricht Treaty, or Black Wednesday are still prominently ingrained in memories on both sides of the Channel. More recently, the Eurozone crisis as well as David Cameron’s attempt to renegotiate Britain’s role inside the EU have again powerfully illustrated competing British and German visions of Europe’s place in the world. How can such continuing tensions over European integration be reconciled with the great extent of bilateral rapprochement that has taken place outside formal EC/EU structures since 1945?
This conference brings together scholars from a variety of backgrounds and all levels of seniority to shed fresh light on the evolution of the Anglo-German relationship since the Second World War, with particular emphasis on the European integration process in its wider transatlantic and global context. More precisely, the conference hopes to embed studies of Anglo-German relations inside the EC/EU much more firmly in the wider international history of the post-war world, hoping to overcome the narrow analytical confines of an overly EC/EU-centric approach. With the bulk of archival materials now freely accessible for the period up to 1985, the time indeed seems ripe to revisit the evolution of bilateral relations from new perspectives and methodological angles.
The conference deliberately adopts a broad definition of the Anglo-German relationship. It brings together contributions that seek to connect the history of bilateral relations over European integration with developments outside EC/EU structures, as well as contributions that utilize recent trends from cultural and social history in what might be termed a ‘New International/Diplomatic History’.
The conference forms part of the Cambridge German Studies Research Hub, supported by the DAAD with funds from the Federal Foreign Office (FFO). It has been organised in close cooperation with the AG Internationale Geschichte under the auspices of the German Historikerverband.

Given the limited number of spaces available, conference attendees should get in contact with the organisers by email, so that places can be reserved.