The Germans and Their Neighbors by Dirk Verheyen & Christian Soe

Author:Dirk Verheyen & Christian Soe [Verheyen, Dirk & Soe, Christian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: International Relations, Political Science, General
ISBN: 9781000301878
Google: OayhDwAAQBAJ
Goodreads: 4284670
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 1993-05-31T00:00:00+00:00

The Impact of the Crisis in the GDR

The intensification of the crisis in the GDR in the autumn of 1989, which was touched off by the effort of tens of thousands of GDR citizens to emigrate to the Federal Republic, opened a new phase in Soviet policy toward the German Question.35 The Soviets had been concerned about the deterioration of the situation in the GDR for some time and feared that Honecker's continued resistance to reform might lead to a popular explosion.36 However, they did not wish to interfere directly in East German affairs or destabilize the GDR. During Gorbachev's visit to East Berlin on October 6-7, 1989, for the 40th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the GDR, the Soviet leader sought to gently nudge Honecker to introduce more far-reaching reforms. While stressing that policy regarding the GDR was made in East Berlin, not Moscow, he also noted that "life punishes those who come too late."

Privately, moreover, he reportedly warned the East German leadership that if unrest broke out, Soviet troops would remain in their barracks.37 This dramatically changed the dynamics of the crisis. In the past, the East German leadership felt confident that it could count on Soviet "fraternal assistance" — as in 1953 — in case it faced serious popular unrest. In East Berlin, however, Gorbachev made clear that the rules of the game had changed and that the East German Communist regime could not rely on Soviet help if unrest broke out. This, in effect, pulled the rug out from under Honecker and paved the way for his overthrow — and the acceleration of the crisis.

In sanctioning — or at least not stopping — the opening of the Hungarian borders in September 1989, Gorbachev clearly did not intend to precipitate the collapse of the GDR. Rather, he hoped to encourage the removal of Honecker and the installation of a more reform-oriented leader who would be more flexible but could still be counted on to maintain firm control of the reform process. Wittingly or not, however, Gorbachev's actions did contribute to the collapse of the GDR and the growth of pressure for unification. Once it was clear that the Soviets would not intervene militarily, the demands for reform took on a momentum of their own, sweeping first Honecker, then his successor Egon Krenz, and finally the whole Socialist Unity Party (SED) from power.

The rapidity of the collapse of the GDR caught the Soviet leadership by surprise. While Gorbachev was willing to endorse the general principle of self-determination, he was not initially prepared to accept unification. In his public remarks after the fall of the Wall, he continued to emphasize the "inviolability of borders" and the "reality" of the existence of two German states, which he said had to be respected.38 During Foreign Minister Genscher's visit to Moscow in early December, Gorbachev called for "restraint" and said that the GDR was a reliable partner and an important guarantor of peace and stability.39

Similarly, in his speech to the European

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