The Federal Republic of Germany has long been held up as a 'model society' on account of its economic and social policy achievements. Largely ignored, however, has been the crucial part played by extra-parliamentary protest in the maturing of democracy in that society. In this, the first comprehensive study of the subject in English, the authors trace the rich history of political protest in West Germany and examine the political role of critical intellectuals. The book will give the reader a good understanding of the crucial changes that have taken place in the political culture of the Federal Republic since the mid 1960s.
Preface - Introduction: Changes in the Nature of the Political Terrain after 1945 - Critical Intellectuals as Extra-Parliamentary Custodians of Democracy - The Protest for Peace: Opposition to Remilitarisation and Nuclear Weapons (1950-69) - The Anti-Authoritarian Student Movement (1965-69): A Caesura in the Political Discourse - The Politics of the Women's Movement and the Cultural Challenge of Feminism (1969-85) - Citizens' Initiatives: Grassroots Democracy and the Growth of Environmentalism in the 1970s and 1980s - The Protest for Peace: Mass Opposition to Nuclear Arms (1980-86) - The Greens as the Parliamentary Tribune of Protest Politics - Conclusion: Changes in the Nature of the Political Culture since the Late 1960s - Footnotes and References - Chronology of Events - Bibliography - Index
