|
|
A Changing Germany: What It Means
| Article
# : |
17237 |
|
|
Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
|
| Issue
Date : |
2 / 1990 |
2,491 Words |
| Author
: |
Werner Kaltefleiter
|
The opening of the inner German border stimulated much speculation in East and West regarding the prospects of German reunification. Television scenes of hundreds of thousands of East Germans traveling to the West have already led to a reunification of the German people. The question now is whether reunification of the German nation is also on the agenda.
All of these speculations overlook the fact that for more than 30 years the objective of West German policy has not been reunification but self-determination for all German people in accordance with the UN Charter. This was a prudent policy for two reasons.
First, the demand for self-determination based on the UN Charter is much more convincing than the request for reunification. Against the latter, it could always be argued that the division of Germany is a result of World War II and any change of this postwar European order would endanger peace. If, however, self-determination for all Germans were achieved and then the two Germanys freely decided in favor of reunification, no democratic country would object.
These considerations have not been changed by recent developments in Eastern Europe. The main objective of German policy is the right to self-determination for the people in East Germany, but it remains an open question whether - and, if so, when - this right can be achieved.
To understand the present situation, one first must consider the Soviet scene. When Mikhail Gorbachev came to power, he quickly realized that the Soviet system could no longer provide the means for the USSR to continue playing the role of a superpower. Therefore, he developed a threefold strategy:
1. To reduce the over engagement that could no longer be financed by the Soviet Union, as in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Angola, and perhaps Cuba and Nicaragua;
2. to make the Soviet system more efficient, which is the function of perestroika and glasnost; and
3. to urge internal reforms be made in the Eastern European countries in order to take advantage of their ensuing stronger economies.
The first strategy has been a tremendous success. The Soviet Union received substantial gains by its withdrawal from Afghanistan, in particular. The move tremendously improved the Soviets' standing in the Islamic world while weakening the freedom fighters in Afghanistan, who now fight against their own people and no longer against an occupation force. Finally, this withdrawal was the first precondition for reaching accommodation with the People's Republic of China.
The Vietnamese withdrawal from Cambodia has also brought gains to the Soviet Union. They now have an improved position among the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and this withdrawal was the second precondition for reconciliation between Moscow and Beijing.
Cuba's withdrawal from Angola has opened the door for the independence of Namibia. Whatever the policy of a forthcoming independent Namibia, it is unquestionable that such a development
...
Read Full Article
|
|
