Reunification Of Germany Essay Research Paper IntroductionGermany

Reunification Of Germany Essay, Research Paper

Introduction

Germany lies in central Europe. It borders France, Switzerland, Austria,

Czechoslovakia, Poland, Denmark, Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, and it has a

short coastline on the North and Baltic Seas. The northern part of the country is mostly

flat. The terrain is hilly in Central and Southern Germany. The Alps run along the border

with Austria. More than one quarter of the land is still under forest cover. Major rivers

include Rhine in the west, Danube in the south, Elbe and Weser in the north, and Oder in

the east. The climate is moderate; mild summers and cool winters. Major exports are

machinery, motor vehicles, electrical equipment and chemicals. The estimated population

in 1996 was 77,030,00. Germany s capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a federal

republic, the government s main bodies include a parliament, a federal chancellor and a

cabinet. In order to better understand the present state in Germany, I am presenting a

brief political summary.

History

Germany was a unified country from 1871 to 1945. When Hitler committed

suicide in Berlin that year, Germany was left in ruins. Bombings had destroyed cities,

industries and transportation . Victorious allies agreed to divide Germany into four

zones, but they could not agree on how to reunite the four zones. As a result,

in 1949, Germany was divided into two states; the Federal Republic of Germany(West

Germany) which emerged from the three western zones, U.S.A., Great Britain and France,

and the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) created from the Soviet Unions

zone.

West Germany

Any chance that Germany may have reunified in the 1950 s was erased by

Conrad Adenauer, West German Chancellor. Adenauer did not trust Soviet intentions and

opted for relations with the U.S.A. and Western Europe. His government brought an

amazing economic recovery to West Germany, which helped the republic to gain the

support of its citizens. The relationship between East and West Germany continued to

deteriorate with the pressures of the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was constructed on

August 13, 1961. Although he was committed to democracy, Adenauer s pushy style led

to his retirement in 1963. His party, the Christian Democrats remained in power until

1969, when the Social Democrats, led by Willy Brandt came into power. Brandt s chief

contribution was “Ostopolitik” which led to the establishment of diplomatic relations with

east bloc countries. Relaxed tensions let West Germans visit friends and relatives in

the East. In the long term, that relaxation made reunification a possibility. Brandt resigned

in 1974 after it was discovered that one of his aides was an East German spy. Helmut

Schmidt, also a Social Democrat, succeeded him. Schmidt continued to practice moderate

domestic policies and Ostopolitik, as did the Christian Democrats when they returned to

power under Helmut Kohl in 1982.(1) Kohl remained chancellor following the 1983 and

1987 elections.

East Germany

The German Democratic Republic experienced a more difficult history. After

World War II the Soviet Union appointed German communists to office and set up a

system similar to that of the Soviet Union. People suspected of opposing communism

were thrown into prison camps. Many East Germans attempting to flee into West

Germany were killed. The Socialist Union Party was formed , led by Walter Ulbricht.

East German economy recovered after 1945, but the standard of living was much lower

than that of West Germany. Although living and working conditions slowly improved

under the unpopular dictator, almost three million dissatisfied citizens escaped to West

Germany resulting in the construction of the Berlin Wall. Ulbricht resigned in 1971, he

was succeeded by Erich Honecker. Honecker helped to improve relations with many

non-communist nations but no real changes were felt until 1989, when protests for

freedom by East Germans became rampant. The pressure forced Honecker to resign. His

successor was Egon Krenz. The government finally decided to open its borders and allow

citizens to travel freely. The end of these restrictions led to the fall of the Berlin Wall.(2)

Reunification

The opening of the borders in 1989 permitted thousands of East Germans to move to

West Germany where they were immediately granted citizenship. This allowed the

population to consider the possibility of reunification.

In order for reunification to become a reality, a number of factors needed to be

considered. The integration of East Germany into the much larger economic system of

West Germany and the establishment of a stable currency was a necessity.

The ability of the new Germany to sustain the huge national debt was a concern since East

Germany was falling apart economically. Also, some thought reunification would be

difficult

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