The Cold War: Ost Politik (1966-74)

Figure 1.--Soviet and East German Communists after World War II assumed that the superority of the Communist economic model would give them control of Western Europe including West Germany. To their horror they found that free market capitalism provided workers with a prosoperous life and Communism did not. As a result, Communist propaganda by the 1970s focused on depicting the West Germans and Americans as Fascist war mongers. There was no attempt at reconcilitaion in Communist propaganda. Here East German children are participating in a peace demonstration as part of a required school activity during the 1970s. As a result of Chancellor Brandt's Ostpolitik, the DDR made some inconsequential humanitarian gestures, but steadily pursued its propaganda line and police state supression of East German citizens while receiving West German economic assistance. Ironically, Chancellor Bradt and Ostpolitik would be brought down by Communist spies.

Willie Brandt first became known internationally as mayor of West Berlin (1957). He initiated what he became best known for--his Ost Politik, openings to the East. Brandt by 1961 was the leading figure in the Social Democratic Party (SPD) which was the German Socialist party. As West Berlin mayor, he was disappointed that the Western Allies didn't respond more vigorously to the Wall the East Germans errected. He was with President Kennedy when the President gave the "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech and was concerned that the crowd reaction might result in an incident at the Wall. He was elected chancellor (1969) and he retained this office in the subsequent general election (1972). He worked toward relaxing the tension between Eastern and Western Europe. His policy led to the signing of non-aggression pacts between West Germany and both the Soviet Union (19??) and Poland (1970). He continued pushing for openings to the East--not matter how small and according to critics no matter the cost. Brandt resigned assuming responsibility for the infiltration of an East German secret agent who was working on his staff (1974). Brandt was awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1971) for his contribution to the relaxation of tension between Western and Eastern Europe (so-called détente or Entspannungspolitik). What Ost Politik did not do was to change the oppressive character of the DDR or questiion the right of the Soiviet Union to maintain the division of Germany or its empire in Eastern Europe. The Wall not only remained firmly in place, but DDR officials diligently worked to strengrhen it all throught the era of Ost Politik. Defusing the military tension along the Iron Curtin was an important achievenment, but there is ampel evidence to suggest that the economic concessions only strengthened the East German regime. Thecfundamental flaw of Ost Politik was it assumed that the Cold War tensions were equally caused by the Soviet Union and Western Allies while from the beginning the Cold war was begun by the Soviet Union and continued by imposing police states on the people of Eastern Europe, including East Germany.

Willy Brandt

Willy Brandt was born in Lubeck (1913). While still a teenager, he joined the Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschland (German Social Democratic Party--(SPD), Germany's principal Socialist party (1930). At the time, the Depression was driving support for Adolf Hitler and the NAZIs. Brandt was very active in the campaigns against Adolf Hitler and the NAZI Party. During thius time he became critical of the establish SPD leadership, men like Rudolf Breitscheild. He participated in the forming of the Socialist Workers Party (SAP), a Marxist left-wing organization aligned, but not controlled by the Communists. When Adolf Hitler seized power (1933), he immediately moved to arrest Communists. As the SAP was an allied party, many members were also arrested. Brandt managed to flee to Norway. There he completed his studies at Oslo University and found work as a journalist. Brandt travelled to Spain as a journalist duriung the Civil War (February 1937). He worked from Barcelona one of the Republic's centers of support. He became close with members of the Worker's Party (POUM). It was here that vhe began to moderate his radical Marxist views. As the Civil War dragged on and the Soviet Union was one of the few countries to support the Republic, the Communists took increasing control. He observed how the "POUM were persecuted, dragged before the courts, or even murdered by the Communists." The same thing of course occurred in the Soviet Union when the Bolsheviks seized control. After he returned to Norway,he addressed this theme in his articles--the dangers posed to socialists by working with Joseph Stalin and the Soviets. This was the sane time tht the world was stunned by the Great Terror in the Soviet Union. He was not as surprosed as others by the NAZI-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (August 1938). After Hitler launched World War II (September 1939), the Germans invaded and occupied neutral Norway (April 1940). Brandt again managed to flee, this time reaching neutral Sweden. For a time, it looked like the Germans might also nvade Sweden, from where there could be no escape, He did what little he could to support the German resistance movement. Brandt after theWar was finally able to return to Germany. He did not return to Lubeck which was in the Soviet occupartion zone. He was elected to the West German Bundestag as a SPD member (1949). Brandt first became known internationally as mayor of West Berlin (1957). He initiated what he became best known for--his Ost Politik, openings to the East. Brandt by 1961 was the leading figure in the Social Democratic Party (SPD) which was the German Socialist party. As West Berlin mayor, he was disappointed that the Western Allies didn't respond more vigorously when the East Germans errected the Berlin Wall (1961). He was with President Kennedy when the President gave the "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech and was concerned that the crowd reaction might result in an incident at the Wall (1962). Brandt steadily rose in the SPD and became chairman (1964). He joined the coalition government led by Kurt Kiesinger, serving as Foreign Minister (1966). From this post he enunciated his policy of Ostpolitik He was elected chancellor (1969) and he retained this office in the subsequent general election (1972).

Concept

While serving as mayor of West Berlin, Willy Brandt, came to two realistic conclusions. First, the DDR was not going to disintegrate as long as the Soviet Union was willing to use force to sustain it. Second, that the Western powers, namely the United States, were unwilling to risk a third World War to confront Communist regimes. When he became Chancellor (1969), he decided on a policy of détente and recived a good deal of public support. The concept was to pusue détente not only with the DDR, but with the Soviet Union and other Soviet Eastern European satellites. The idea was not only to build bridges, but to isolate the DDR within the Soviet empire.

Basic Treaty (1972)

The Federal Republic (BRD) recognized East Germany de facto, but maintained a de jure reservation with the goal of future reunification, at the time more of a dream.

Ost Politik Initatives

Ostpolitik in German means 'Eastern Policy’ and was an effort to seek reconciliation between eastern and western Europe. It was a major reversal in the Cold War foreign policy of the German Federal Republic (BRD-West Germany) toward the Soviet Empire (East Bloc), especially the German Democratic Republic (DDR--East Germany). This was a major reversal in BRD policy formulated by the new BRD Chancellor, from the Socialist SPD, former West Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt. The BRD until Brandt was elected chncelor had refused to recognize the legitimacy of DDR as formulated in the Hallstein Doctrine during the Chancleroship of Konrad Adenauer (1955). Relations between the two Germanies stagnated. And the DDR moved to cut off contacts between families which became virtuall absolute after the Berlin Wall was erected (1961). Brandt working with his FDP coaltion partner, Walter Scheel, working as foreign minister agreed to attempt negotiations with the Communists. Leading BRD and DDR officials held formal talks for the first time since 1948. Brandt met with DDR prime minister, Willi Stoph, first in Erfurt in East Germany and then Kassel in West Germany. These preliminary talks resulted in no afreement,primarily because Brandt wa not yet ready to recognize the DDR as a sovereign state. Lines of communication were,however, reopened. Substntial steps followed. A major step in Brandt's Ospolitik was the General Relations Treaty (1972) which normalized relations between the two Germanies. The two governments committed themselves to developing normal relations on the "basis of equality, guaranteeing their mutual territorial integrity as well as the border between them, and recognizing each other's independence and sovereignty". As a part of Ostpolitik the BRD exchanged ambassadors with the Soviet Union, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria. Brandt worked toward relaxing the tension between Eastern and Western Europe. His policy led to the signing of non-aggression pacts between West Germany and both the Soviet Union and Poland (1970). This formaly recognized the Oder-Neisse border between Germany and Poland imposed by the Soviets at the end of World War II (1970–72). He continued pushing for openings to the East--no matter how small and according to critics without regard to cost and reciprosity. Brandt also pursued trade deals with the DDR and East Bloc countries. Brandt conceived this as a realistic policy to the Soviet control of Eastern Europe which he apparently saw as permanent. Brandt resigned assuming responsibility for the infiltration of an East German secret agent who was working on his staff (1974). Brandt was awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1971) for his contribution to the relaxation of tension between Western and Eastern Europe (so-called détente or Entspannungspolitik).

Small Steps

Brandt through his Ost-Politik pursued small steps which basically meant offering West German financial rewards in exchange for East German 'humanitarian concessions'. The goal was to create a more porous border. The DDR released political prisoners. Western relatives were allowed to visit. Eastern retirees were permitted to travel westward. Thus some human ties were reestablished, despite the ever hardened walls between the two German states. [Sarotte]

Failings

What Ost Politik did not do was to change the oppressive character of the DDR or question the right of the Soiviet Union to maintain the division of Germany or its empire in Eastern Europe. The Wall not only remained firmly in place, but DDR officials diligently worked to strengrhen it all throught the era of Ost Politik. There was no apprecaiation of the economic weakness of the Soviet Union and its Empire. There was a willingness to downplay the moral issues of human rights. Others supported Ostpolitik on the margin such as Pope Paul I and American President Jimmy Carter,

Assessment

Defusing the military tension along the Iron Curtin was an important achievenment, but there is ampel evidence to suggest that the economic concessions only strengthened the East German regime. The fundamental flaw of Ost Politik was it assumed that the Cold War tensions were equally caused by the Soviet Union and Western Allies while from the beginning the Cold war was begun by the Soviet Union and continued by imposing police states on the people of Eastern Europe, including East Germany. One British editorialist wrote sucintly, "It can be argued that Herr Brandt has surrendered a principle and got little in return. The East Germans, and behind them the Russians, have made only a few slight concessions in the matter of human, administrative and trading contacts across the border. But they are real concessions, whereas the reunification of Germany, short of some new world cataclysm, has become an impossible dream. Post-war international relations are difficult enough, but it is better that they should be based on present realities than on a vanished past or an imaginary future." [The Sunday Telegraph]

Unraveling

The policy finally began to unravel with the elevation of Polish Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to the papacy as John Paul II (1978), the appointment of Mrgaret Thatcher in Brirain, the election of Ronald Reagan in America (1980), and the elecction of CDU Chancellor Helmet Kohl (1982). All four were determined to elevate personal freedom and human rights to a central policy toward the Soviet Union and its satellites. The focus of the Cold War gradually shifted from Germany to Poland and the increasing awareness in the West of the violations of personal freedom and the declining economies in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Uniion itself.

Sources

Sarotte, Mary E. Dealing with the Devil: East Germany, Détente, and Ostpolitik, 1969-1973 (Chapel Hill, NC, 2001).

The Sunday Telegraph (November 12, 1972).

Created: 6:16 AM 6/18/2012
Last updated: 8:37 AM 10/26/2017