Frontmatter -- Contents -- Introduction of the Editors -- I. The Decision-Makers in Foreign Affairs -- Britain and the World, 1945-1949: the View from the Foreign Office / Adamthwaite, Anthony -- Britain and Europe in 1948: the View from the Cabinet / Warner, Geoffrey -- The French Decision-Makers and their Perception of French Power in 1948 / Girault, René -- Italy: the End of a 'Great Power' and the Birth of a 'Democratic Power' / Vigezzi, Brunello -- De Gasperi, Nenni, Sforza and their Role in Post-War Italian Foreign Policy / Varsori, Antonio -- Senior West German Politicians and their Perception of the German Situation in Europe 1945-1949 / Overesch, Manfred -- II. The Political Parties -- British Political Parties and the European Crisis of the late 1940s / Ceadel, Martin -- French Power as seen by the Political Parties after World War II / Berstein, Serge -- The Genesis of Political Impotence. Italy's Mass Political Parties in the Years between the Great Alliance and the Cold War / Galante, Severino -- The Italian Communist Party and the Italian Imperial Problem. A Forgotten 'Colonial' Position / Rainero, Romain ¿. -- The International Political Situation as seen by the German Linksparteien (SPD, SED and KPD) between 1945 and 1949 / Staritz, Dietrich / Sywottek, Arnold -- III. The Economic Area -- Economic Aspects of British Perceptions of Power on the Eve of the Cold War / Peden, George C. -- The French Dilemma: Modernization with Dependence or Independence and Decline / Frank, Robert -- Betting on the Future. The Reconstruction of Italian Industry, 1946-1952 / Zamagni, Vera -- The Economic Reconstruction of West Germany in the Context of International Relations 1945-1949 / Schröder, Hans-Jürgen -- IV. The Military Problems -- British Military Perceptions of the Soviet Union as a Strategic Threat, 1945-1950 / Watt, Donald C. -- Reflections on the Notion of Military Power through the French Example (1945-1948) / Delmas, Jean -- West Germany's Strategic Position and her Role in Defence Policy as seen by the German Military, 1945-1949 / Messerschmidt, Manfred / Greiner, Christian / Wiggershaus, Norbert -- V. Public Opinion and the Cultural Sector -- Foreign Office Publicity, American Aid and European Unity. Mobilising Public Opinion, 1947-1949 / Anstey, Caroline -- Introduction to an Era of Doubt. Cultural Reflections of 'French Power', around the Year 1948 / Ory, Pascal -- A Difficult Adaptation. The Italian Liberal-Democratic Press and the Reality of the International Situation (1945-1949) / Decleva, Enrico -- Farewell to the Power State? The Perception of the Political Environment and the Idea of the State in Public Opinion in the Western Occupation Zones of Germany between 1946 and 1948 / Hürten, Heinz -- VI. Europe in the International Postwar Constellation -- British Perceptions of Power. Europe between the Superpowers / Parker, R. A. C. -- France: from Powerlessness to the Search for Influence / Melandri, Pierre / Vaïsse, Maurice -- France, the Empire and Power (1945-1949) / Nouschi, André -- The Shaping of Italian Foreign Policy during the Formation of the East-West Blocs. Italy between the Superpowers / Nolfo, Ennio Di -- Italy at the Outbreak of the Cold War: Domestic and International Factors / Aga-Rossi, Elena -- German Conceptions of Europe during the Escalation of the East-West Conflict, 1945-1949 / Loth, Wilfried -- Conclusion -- Europe between Power and Powerlessness / Wendt, Bernd-Jürgen -- Abbreviations -- The Authors -- Other Publications -- Index of Names -- Backmatter