The Politics of German Unification

Ten years ago, Europe's political map changed dramatically. The Berlin Wall fell, and less than a year later Germany was reunified. Was this a whim of history, neither planned nor foreseen, or was it the work of ingenious politics?How did this development come about and how were the various obstacles overcome? Who were the political figures that acted while the window of opportunity was wide open, knowing, as Gorbachev had said, that history would punish those who arrived too late? Answers to these questions have been offered by a team of highly competent scholars under the direction of Werner Weidenfeld, a close advisor to the former chancellor, Helmut Kohl. Their writings draw from unprecedented access to the chancellor's office files, which would normally fall under a thirty-year restriction. Starting out from four different angles, the authors tell a fascinating story of how Germany was reunified. In doing so, they provide an insight into the decision-making processes within the chancellor's office and into Kohl's dealings with his peers in the 214 negotiations on German reunification. Yet they do not answer clearly the questions posed above: their message is that it has been a combination of all three factors. Books reviewed in this article: Korte, Karl-Rudolf Deutschlandpolitik in Helmut Kohls Kanzlerschaft. Regierungsstil und Entscheidungen 1982–1989, (Germany's Policies in the Helmut Kohl Chancellorship: Government Style and Decisions) Grosser, Dieter Das Wagnis der Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion. Politische Zwänge im Konflikt mit ökonomischen Regeln (The Challenge of Economic and Monetary Union: Political Forces in Conflict with Economic Rules) Jäger, Wolfgang Die Überwindung der Teilung. Der innerdeutsche Prozeß der Vereinigung 1989/90 (Overcoming the Division: The Inter-German Reunification Process) Weidenfeld, Werner Außenpolitik für die Deutsche Einheit. Die Entscheidungsjahre 1989/90 (Foreign Policy for German Unity: The Decisive Years 1989–90)

Berlin wall · Cartography · Economic history · Fall of man · Fell · German · Negotiation · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Unification · Classics · Eastern European Communism and Reforms · European history and politics · German History and Society · History · Law