Special Reports for "Area Studies > European" A New Germany--A New Europe? No other question affects the people of Europe so deeply as "the German question." To put the tumultuous events of recent months into perspective and to examine what effect the emergence of one Germany would have on Europe and the world, THE WORLD & I went to leading authorities on both sides of the Atlantic. Introduction Eastern Europe is being transformed before our eyes. In a series of unprecedented actions, communist governments are turning over their ... Cold War Has Ended Events radiating outward from Germany highlight a domestic imperative for the United States: to recognize the growing importance of economics in foreign policy and national security. ... A Changing Germany: What It Means Eastern Europe's reformers want to lead their respective countries into a free and united Europe. The question of whether a united Germany will "dominate" Central Europe or become a "risk to peace" overlooks this historic trend. ... Europe Casts an Anxious Eye The prospect of a new balance of power in which Germany plays a major role is causing anxiety, however much European leaders act otherwise. ... Gorbachev Seeks a Trade-Off If the West wants to keep Gorbachev in power, it may have to agree with him that the right of national self-determination in Europe does not apply either to Germans or to the nationalities of the USSR. ... The Challenge of History The chief question facing the world is not whether the Cold War is over but whether we are establishing a framework of international cooperation for the consuming tasks that will challenge future generations. ...