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"There is by now a very familiar received narrative of German reunification, one that began to coalesce immediately upon the fall of the Berlin Wall. Even before the files of most of the state offices, the foreign ministers, and the secret services were opened, television productions, radios, and newspapers, began painting a picture of reunification and the end of the Cold War in which the people of the GDR, as part of a movement for citizens' rights, and with the support of the 'master strategist' Gorbachev, in a short time achieved its freedom and joined with West Germany to form a new republic with a bright future. The historical and contemporary truth is, of course, much more complex and elusive. This carefully researched history draws on archival sources as well as a wealth of new interviews with on-the-ground activists, political actors, international figures, and others to move beyond the narratives--both the German and American varieties--that have dominated the historical memory of reunification. In the process, it addresses some fascinating lingering questions from 1989: What led the Soviet side to agree to the reunification of Germany and the membership of a united Germany in NATO? Was it promoting, as a condition for German unity, military neutrality and an overall European security system as an alternative to the expansion of NATO? Was the government of the FRG subjected to pressure from the Soviet side to decide between unity and its ties to the West? Did the American side rule this out? And what strategies did the West and East European governments ultimately pursue?"--
List of contents
1. The Beginnings 2. Summer 1989: Gorbachev in Bonn 3. Gorbachev and the "Soviet Fatherhood" of the GDR 4. Coincidence as helper - Driving the Activists 5. 2+4, 4+2, or 33+2?: The Centers of Power Take Over the Handling of the International Aspects of Unity 6. The Elections in the GDR and Their Consequences 7. What Was National, and What Was International, in the 2+4 Negotiations? 8. Signing of the Contracts 9. Summary and Prospects for the Future
About the author
Alexander von Plato was founder and director of the Institute for History and Biography of the University of Hagen, guest professor in Vienna and Winnipeg, recipient of the Diefenbaker Award 2012)
Additional text
“The End of the Cold War is both a serious academic study and a lively and engaging read; it offers the fascinating perspectives of those who drove, and were sometimes driven by, this chaotic series of events. In general, von Plato’s considerable skills as influential and productive oral historian are evident here, along with his passion to understand better this landmark event in the recent history of his German home.” (Stephen Sloan, The Oral History Review, 2017)
Report
"The End of the Cold War is both a serious academic study and a lively and engaging read; it offers the fascinating perspectives of those who drove, and were sometimes driven by, this chaotic series of events. In general, von Plato's considerable skills as influential and productive oral historian are evident here, along with his passion to understand better this landmark event in the recent history of his German home." (Stephen Sloan, The Oral History Review, 2017)
