Das US-amerikanische Demokratisierungskonzept als Teilprozess des Wiederaufbaus nach dem militärischen Sieg : die demokratische Restrukturierungspolitik in Deutschland nach 1945 und im Irak nach 2003

Abstract

This thesis, The US-American concept of democratization as a sub process of reconstruction after military victory The reconstructuring policy of democracy in Germany after 1945 and in Iraq after 2003 , intends to compare these two examples of U.S.-American nationbuilding. As the two cases are often compared by analysts or by members of the US-administration, I try to find out the actual similarities and differences in democratization and nationbuilding. The hypotheses I work with are the following: The successful concept of democracybuilding in Germany after World War II through the U.S.-occupation was exactly transferred to Iraq and used in the current process of reconstruction. And the second, based on the first hypothesis: The disappointments and set-backs during the Iraqi nationbuilding process are caused in the missing adjustment and localization of the German concept to Iraqi conditions. The results of the comparison were divided. On the one hand the similarities of the concepts are substantial because the main structure of essential factors was analogue. On the other hand many serious differences were found. And as the German concept was not exactly overtaken, the first hypothesis must be dropped. But instead of dropping the second hypothesis alike, I prefer to convert it: The disappointments and set-bags during the Iraqi nationbuilding process are caused in the missing adjustment and localization to Iraqi conditions. The findings of the analysis show the causes of the problems in Iraq appropriate to this new version of the second hypothesis. On the search for the holy grail of nationbuilding as part of reconstruction, researchers tried to find the perfect, most effective and most sustainable model. Maybe this work makes a contribution to the search. And maybe the key is, as is identified in this work as the cause of problems, to react individually and flexible on each challenge of nationbuilding, on the local needs, the structural traditions and the people s visions.