Two “naughty siblings”: France and Germany in the public discussion of the interwar period

Abstract

In the interwar period, Franco-German relations were of great importance for European politics. They determined the stability and the development of Europe-for better or for worse. France and Germany still confronted one another after the First World War. As the victor, the former defended its achievements, and the latter, as the loser, fought for the revision of the outcome. This was a constant problem in the interwar period. Only in the years 1925 to 1930- between the Locarno Treaty and the Briand Plan-did the two neighbors honestly try to settle their differences. This gave a major impetus to the idea of a European reconciliation as well. After these hopeful years, however, relations deteriorated due to the Great Depression, the death of German Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann, who had followed the path of reconciliation, and the subsequent rise of the National Socialist Party in Germany.