This new work analyzes the relationship between alliance politics and East-West German relations. Considering inter-German relations to be an integral part of the larger political picture of European alliances, Division and Detente examines the prospects of German reunification and the problems of autonomous East-West detente in times of superpower tensions. The book also covers the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Polish crisis in 1980, and the effects of NATO's deployment of intermediate range missiles in Europe. Thorough and accessible, it is an authoritative resource for anyone interested in inter-German relations in particular or detente in general.