Introducing the key themes of 20th-century German history, this survey traces the course of social, cultural, and political tensions in Germany since 1918. Starting with the self-destructive Weimar Republic, author Mary Fulbrook guides readers through the extremes of genocide and military aggression in the Nazi era; the extraordinary political experiment of dividing the nation during the Cold War; the collapse of communist East Germany; and unification with capitalist democratic West Germany in 1990. A History of Germany, 1918-2014 also covers events since the end of the Cold War, examining the changing ways in which Germany remains divided even today. Treating West and East German history in equal depth, the author provides a useful framework for exploring continuities and changes in modern Germany. In this fourth edition, the author has thoroughly updated the text with particular focus on developments since unification in 1990. She includes discussion of Germany's pivotal role in the Euro crisis, the importance of the 2013 elections, and a review of Angela Merkel's Chancellorship. The book concludes with reflections on Germany's tumultuous history over the century since the First World War.