The peaceful revolutions of 1989-90 toppled regimes and transformed international relations. After four decades in which time itself seemed to have become frozen, events rushed forward at a dizzying pace. In a nutshell, the collapse of Communism in Central and Eastern Europe overthrew the Soviet empire, destroyed the Warsaw Pact, and dissolved the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON). The unexpected rising of suppressed peoples shattered the relative stability of the Cold War and ushered in a period of rapid and unpredictable change. By ending the East-West confrontation, this rupture opened up undreamt-of vistas of action which also tested the established relationship between the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany. It was in effect a redefining movement in transatlantic relations that was fraught with exciting possibilities for crises and new beginnings.

Not surprisingly, American opinion responded to the new situation much like an individual reacts to an unforeseen event, namely, in terms of its prior experiences with the Germans. The Central and East European rising stirred up layers of public images in the United States that had accumulated through personal contact and media projection over two centuries. In the case of Germany negative stereotypes, created by the enmity of the world wars and the shock of the Holocaust, predictably raised old fears of aggression and domination. But earlier historical memories of immigration as well as education, and recent impressions based on private contacts and the stability of the Federal Republic, also engendered more positive views that spurred new hopes. These mixed feelings sparked a lively debate in the American press and academic community which, although ostensibly about the future, was largely couched in terms of the past.