The Search for Reconciliation
Sino-Japanese and German-Polish Relations since World War II

Focusing on two case studies from East Asia and Europe, Yinan He argues that the key to interstate reconciliation is the harmonization of national memories.

Yinan He (Author)

9781316501115, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 17 December 2015

380 pages
23 x 15.3 x 2.3 cm, 0.66 kg

'The great strength of He's work lies in combining [an] innovative theoretical argument with careful empirical inquiry. Her attention to questions of case selection and design, clarity of definitions, high standards for evidence collection, and honesty in reporting her findings bolster the credibility of her claims.' J. Reilly, Journal of Chinese Political Science

Why have some former enemy countries established durable peace while others remain mired in animosity? When and how does historical memory matter in post-conflict interstate relations? Focusing on two case studies, Yinan He argues that the key to interstate reconciliation is the harmonization of national memories. Conversely, memory divergence resulting from national mythmaking harms long-term prospects for reconciliation. After WWII, Sino-Japanese and West German-Polish relations were both antagonized by the Cold War structure, and pernicious myths prevailed in national collective memory. In the 1970s, China and Japan brushed aside historical legacy for immediate diplomatic normalization. But the progress of reconciliation was soon impeded from the 1980s by elite mythmaking practices that stressed historical animosities. Conversely, from the 1970s West Germany and Poland began to de-mythify war history and narrowed their memory gap through restitution measures and textbook cooperation, paving the way for significant progress toward reconciliation after the Cold War.

Introduction
1. Explaining deep interstate reconciliation
2. When east meets west: postwar West German-Polish reconciliation
3. Initial isolation: pre-normalization Sino-Japanese reconciliation
4. The 'honeymoon' period: Sino-Japanese relations, 1972–81
5. An old feud comes back: Sino-Japanese relations in the 1980s
6. Volatility and downward spiral: Sino-Japanese relations from the 1990s to the present
Conclusion
Appendix
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS], Politics & government [JP], History [HB]