SEM 7: Unification or Reunification? The events of 1989-1990

1. What were the main events in the process of the reunification of the two German states?

• May 1989: Opening of the Hungarian Border

  • HUN dismantled its border fence with AUS, allowing E GER to flee West via HUN. This created a refugee crisis and undermined E GER gov. 

• September 1989: Leipzig Demonstrations & Mass Protests

  • E GER organized weekly protests, especially in Leipzig, calling for DEM reforms & freedom. Known as "Monday Demonstrations," grew rapidly & pressured E GER gov

• October 1989: Erich Honecker’s Resignation

  • Facing increasing public pressure & lack of SU support, Erich Honecker forced to resign & replaced by Egon Krenz, who attempted reforms but failed 

• November 9, 1989: Fall of the Berlin Wall

  • After confusion over new travel regulations, East Berliners stormed border crossings, forcing guards to open Berlin Wall. Symbolized the collapse of E GER control 

• March 18, 1990: First Free Elections in East Germany

  • CDU, which supported rapid reunification, won decisively. Elections showed that E GER overwhelmingly favoured unity with W GER 

• July 1, 1990: Economic and Monetary Union -> Economic merger

  • Deutsche Mark introduced in E GER, & W GER took over their econ policy -> key step in integrating their economies.

    • Discussion on emergency merger on GER economies -> May 18 1990, "Treaty Establishing a Monetary, Econ & Social Union between GDR & FRG"

• August 23, 1990: East Germany Votes for Accession to the Federal Republic

  • E GER parliament (Volkskammer) voted join FRG - Article 23 of W GER Basic Law.

• October 3, 1990: Official Reunification

  • GDR ceased to exist as its 5 E states (Länder) joined FRG. GER reunited under legal and political framework of W GER

2. Which were the main actors in the process of German reunification?

·       West GER Chancellor Helmut Kohl

o   Advocated for paid reunification process

o   Presented the "10-point plan" in November 1989 for step-by-step unity

o   Negotiated with int leaders to secure support for reunification

·       E GER Leader Egon Krenz

o   Krenz became head of E GER in October 1989 after resignation of Honecker, but his time in power was short-lived. He failed to prevent collapse of E GER regime & played role in agreeing to opening of Berlin Wall

·       Mikhail Gorbachev (SU)

o   Gorbachev's reforms, including Glasnost & Perestroika, and his willingness to allow E EU nations more autonomy were pivotal in creating environment that made reunification possible

o   His cooperation was key in allowing GER to reunify to w/o major SU intervention

·       GW Bush

o   Strongly supported GER reunification & encouraged EU allies to accept it

·       Honecker

o   Holding on before pressure gave way -> caused fall from power as pressure from SU & West amounted

3. What treaties were signed as part of the process of German reunification? What did they provide? Which states were parties to them?

   • Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany (2 + 4 Agreement)

     • Allowed reunification of GER in September 12 1990

     • Negotiated between the 2 (FRG + GDR) and 4 (FR, SU, US, UK)

     • Transplanted 1945 Potsdam Agreement -> all 4 powers renounced rights they had held with regard to GER allowing full sovereign state

     • Allows GER to make & belong to alliances, w/o any foreign influence in its politics

       • Helmut Kohl (chancellor of reunified GER) said GER would inherit W GER seats in NATO & EU Coms

     • Germany undertook efforts to reduce its armed forces to no more than 370,000 personnel, no more than 345,000 of whom were to be in the Army and the Air Force

     • GER confirmation of by now internationally recognised border with POL, & other territorial changes in GER that had taken place since 1945, preventing any future claims to lost territory east of the Oder–Neisse line

       • defined territory of a 'united GER' as being territory of E GER, W GER, Berlin, prohibiting GER from making any future territorial claims

       • Also singed GER-POL Border treaty

   •  GER-POL Border treaty

     • Settled issue of POL-GER border on 14th November 1990

       • declared the frontier between them inviolable now and hereafter, and mutually pledged to respect their sovereignty and territorial integrity;

       • declared that they have no territorial claims against each other and shall not raise such claims in the future.

     • Agreement was supplemented by Treaty of Good Neighborship & Friendly Cooperation signed between POL & GER on 17 June 1991

   • Unification Treaty

     • August 31 1990 -> signed between W & E GER

     • Extended the basic law

   • Helsinki Final Act

     • Relevant to general EU cooperation between E & W

     • 1 August 1975

   • Treaty of Monetary, Economic & SU

     • July 1 1990

     • 10 point plan achieved

4. How much opposition was there to German reunification? Where did it come from? Why was it unsuccessful?

   • UK

     • Thatcher was opposed to GER reunification -> feared GER's "national character", size, central location in EU would cause it to be a destabilising rather than stabilising force in EU

     • Favoured a transition period of five years for reunification, during which the two Germanies would remain separate states.

     • March 1990 -> told FR that FR & UK should pull together in face of GER threat

   • FR

     • Pace of events surprised FR

     • Mitterrand recognized before Thatcher that reunification was inevitable and adjusted his views accordingly; unlike her, he was hopeful that participation in a single currency and other European institutions could control a united Germany

   • Domestic opposition

     • Anti-Germans

       • Emerging from student left -> supportive of Israel & opposed GER nationalism arguing emergence of united GER state would result in return of Nazism

     • Ethnic minorities

       • Particularly those in E GER -> R-W violence was on rise throughout 1990 in GDR, with frequent instances of beatings, rapes, fights connected with xenophobia, which led to a police lockdown in Leipzig on night of reunification

     • Feminists

       • Abortion laws were less restrictive in GDR than FRG

       • Progress that the GDR had made in regard to women's welfare such as legal equality, child care and financial support were "all less impressive or non-existent in the West"

   • Why did opposition fail?

     • Strong popular support in East Germany.

     • Economic and political collapse of the GDR.

     • Helmut Kohl’s diplomatic success in securing Soviet and Western approval.

     • U.S. backing ensured international acceptance.

5. What was the policy of the West German government on the issue of reunification in the key period 1989-90?

   • Shaped by Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his administration

   • Evolved rapidly in response to collapse of GDR

1. Initial Response to the Fall of the Berlin Wall (November 1989)

• Cautious Approach: Initially, West German government did not push aggressively for immediate reunification, fearing resistance from the Soviet Union and some Western allies.

• Encouraging Reform in the GDR: Kohl  supported gradual democratic reforms in East Germany, hoping for internal political change.

• The 10-Point Plan (28 November 1989): Kohl introduced a step-by-step 10-Point Plan in the Bundestag, outlining a gradual process toward reunification through cooperation with East Germany.

2. Acceleration Toward Reunification (Early 1990)

• Rapid Political Changes in GDR: Fall of the Berlin Wall triggered political upheaval in East Germany, leading to the collapse of the communist regime.

• Shift in Policy Toward Immediate Reunification: As East Germany faced economic collapse and mass emigration to the West, the West German government pushed for swift reunification rather than a gradual process.

• Support for Free Elections in the GDR (March 1990): Kohl and his government backed democratic elections in East Germany, knowing that pro-reunification parties (such as the CDU-aligned Alliance for Germany) would likely win.

• Economic Incentives: West Germany offered financial aid and promised economic integration to sway public opinion in the East.

3. Economic and Monetary Union (July 1990)

• Currency Unification: The Deutsche Mark was introduced in East Germany on 1 July 1990, integrating the two economies and increasing pressure for full political unification.

• Economic Integration Plan: West Germany committed to absorbing the struggling East German economy, including financial aid, privatization, and restructuring.

4. Diplomatic Efforts and Overcoming International Opposition

• Negotiations with the Soviet Union: The biggest obstacle was Soviet opposition, as the USSR had troops stationed in East Germany. Kohl secured Gorbachev’s approval through diplomatic efforts and financial incentives.

• US and European Support: The United States, under President George H.W. Bush, supported reunification, while France and the UK were initially skeptical but later accepted it.

• Two Plus Four Talks (February – September 1990): West Germany played a key role in negotiations with East Germany and the four occupying powers (US, UK, USSR, and France) to finalize the external aspects of reunification.

5. Legal and Political Unification (October 1990)

• Article 23 of the Basic Law: West Germany used Article 23 of its constitution, allowing East German states to join the Federal Republic of Germany rather than drafting a completely new constitution.

• Unification Treaty (August 1990): A treaty between the two German states laid out the legal and administrative framework for unification.

• Official Reunification (3 October 1990): East Germany formally ceased to exist, and its territories became part of the Federal Republic of Germany under a single government.

Conclusion

• The West German government, under Helmut Kohl, initially took a cautious approach but quickly shifted to active promotion of reunification as events unfolded.

• Economic and monetary union played a key role in winning East German support.

• Diplomatic efforts with the USSR and Western allies ensured a smooth transition without major international conflict.

• The legal framework allowed for rapid unification using West Germany’s existing structures.

6. Did the events of 1989-90 represent the “reunification” or the “unification” of Germany?

   • Reunification

     • The official term used, as Germany had been one country before 1945.

     • The East German states rejoined the Federal Republic, which continued as the same legal entity.

   • Unification Argument

     • Some historians argue that the process was more of a unification because the GDR was a separate state with its own identity for over 40 years.

     • The merger effectively dissolved East Germany rather than restoring a previous Germany.

   • Conclusion

     • Legally, it was a reunification under West Germany’s framework.

     • Socially and politically, it was closer to a unification, as East and West had developed differently.