Which Major Domestic And International Factors Made

German Unification Possible. Essay, Research Paper

........... There were four major groups which

played a large role in the unification of Germany in 1990 and whose actions

made this unification a possibility..

The first of these was the Soviet Union. and in particular President

Gorbachev, whose actions in the USSR set the scene for the end of the Cold War

and made reunification a possibility..

Second, the SED, the communist government in the GDR, which essentially

failed to react to Gorbachev.s reforms..

Third, the people of the GDR, who became increasingly dissatisfied with

the lack of reform in the SED and soon began to act of themselves.. Fourthly, there was the government of the

FRG, under Helmut Kohl, which reacted to the changes in the GDR in such a way

as to bring about speedy reunification. ........... To begin, then, the role of the

Soviet Union under Gorbachev was vital in resolving many of the international

difficulties inherent in German reunification..

Prior to Gorbachev.s reforms in the USSR, the western powers and the FRG

were unwilling to consider repeated Soviet offers to allow the reunification of

a neutral Germany.. The reasons for this

refusal are obvious.. The two German

states formed the frontline between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, and the west was

not prepared to contemplate the formation of a Germany which was not actively

involved in NATO.. Furthermore, the FRG

was committed to the European Union, and this commitment meant a westward

orientation which a neutral Germany would not be able to pursue. ........... Gorbachev changed this international

situation by his policies of glasnost, or openness, and perestroika,

restructuring.. His aim was to reform

the government of the USSR, but in so doing he relaxed the grip which the

Soviets had on Eastern Europe.. As a

direct result of these policies and reforms, the Soviet block in Eastern Europe

began to demand greater independence, and the Warsaw Pact began to crumble, but

there was a more immediate effect on the GDR..

Eastern European countries, particularly Hungary, began to relax their

border controls, and suddenly Germans were able to move through eastern Europe

and into the FRG.. This resulted in a

mass exodus and a general weakening of the GDR.. For example, between the 10th September, when Hungary opened its

western borders, and the end of the month, when the GDR stopped issuing travel

permits to those wishing to enter Hungary, 25,000 people left East Germany. ........... The effect of Gorbachev.s reforms on

the GDR was not limited to this emigration..

Another important element of perestroika was that Gorbachev was

unwilling to use Soviet force to support the ailing socialist regimes of

eastern Europe.. This became vital as

the protest movement within the GDR grew, leaving the people of the GDR with

only their own government and their own governments repressive forces to deal

with, rather than those of a world superpower..

However, this was not the most important effect of Gorbachev.s reforms.. Rather, perestroika struck at the

heart of the SED government, and their reaction to it was all important in the

reunification process. ........... The raison d.etre of the GDR was

monolithic socialism.. Without the

single party, Stalinist political system, there was no justification for the

existence of a separate East Germany, and if the GDR were to move, following

Gorbachev, away from this system, .there could be no realistic alternative to

unification with West Germany.[1].. The SED realised this, and consequently refused

to tread the path of perestroika..

The SED, under its leader Honecker, did make some concessions to

reform.. Cultural ties with the FRG were

strengthened, and more and more people were allowed to visit the west -

1,000,000 in 1987 as opposed to 50,000 in 1985.. However, people trying to escape over the wall were still shot on

sight, and the Wall was still in place..

The reforms that were made were essentially cosmetic. ........... The failure of Honecker to recognise

the need for change earned him a rebuke from Gorbachev (.He who comes late gets

punished by life.), who could see that the SED would have to become a reforming

party if it was to retain control.. It

also lost him the party chairmanship, as he was ousted by his colleagues.. Removing Honecker was not enough to recover

the people.s confidence in the SED, however..

Between September 1989 and February 1990, membership fell from 2,300,000

to just 890,000.. Furthermore, the limited

reforms the SED had made, and the speeches made by Gorbachev, encouraged the

reform movement in East Germany, and led to the formation of the numerous

opposition groups which eventually led to the end of the GDR. ........... There can be no doubt that the

ordinary people of the GDR played a highl

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