“It was Gorbachev’s acceptance of German unification that made reunification between the FRG and GDR inevitable in 1990” How far do you agree with this statement. Flashcards
What four factors need to be discussed?
Gorbachev’s acceptance
Other reasons for unity
Other examples of inevitability
Evidence that unification was not inevitable
What are the two categories of Gorbachev’s acceptance?
before and after the wall had fallen
When did Gorbachev become leader of the USSR and how old was he when he did?
1985 54
What two policies did Gorbachev pursue?
Glasnost and Perestroika
Glasnost and Perestroika means what?
Openness to ideas of the west and restructuring of the political institutions within the country
Gorbachev’s economic changes did what?
paved the way for greater freedom of speech and political participation in the USSR
What were the implications of Glasnost and Perestroika for the Eastern European soviet satellite states?
declining economic and military support for their East European satellite states
What did Gorbachev abandon in 1986?
Brezhnev Doctrine
What did the Brezhnev Doctrine do for the Eastern European states?
limited the sovereignty of Eastern Satellite states
What was the Brezhnev Doctrine replaced with?
Sinatra Doctrine
What did the Sinatra Doctrine do for the Eastern European states?
gave the USSR’s communist Eastern European satellite states a greater degree of autonomy sovereignty and freedom
Between when was Honecker the dictator of the GDR?
1971-89
Describe Honecker’s 1971-89 regime?
A bastion of old-style communism
When did Gorbachev visit the East Germany?
On the 7th October 1989 celebrations of the 40-year anniversary of the creation
When Gorbachev visited East Germany for the 7th October 1989 celebrations of the 40-year anniversary of the creation of the GDR, what did he urge Honecker to do?
Adopt a similar policy of reform to what he was doing in the USSR, yet he was not successful in persuading him
When did Honecker leave the GDR leadership and who was he replaced by?
18th october Egon Krenz
When did the Leipzig demonstrations start, and what was the reaction of Honecker?
9th October, 70 000 protesters defied the Stasi to gather in Leipzig, however Honecker wanted to crush the demonstrations
Why did Honecker not crush the Leipzig demonstrations?
It was only thanks to Krenz, then the deputy chairman of the council of state backed by the Soviet ambassador to Berlin, that this was blocked.
In his inaugural public address, what did Krenz announce support for?
Perestroika
Krenz’s support of Perestroika meant that he lifted what?
restrictions on travel to other states
What fact shows Krenz’s support of Perestroika by lifting restrictions on travel to other states?
Between the 1st and 3rd of November 10 000 people travelled to West Germany via Czechoslovakia.
How did Gorbachev’s promise that he would not use military force to defend unpopular communist states manifest itself?
1.5 million Soviet troops in the GDR remained in their barracks when the wall fell at Bornholmer bridge
What action of Gorbachev perhaps signalled a thaw in relations between East and West?
Gorbachev successfully visited Bonn in June 1989 perhaps signalling a thaw in relations between east and west.
What willingness by the FRG under Kohl perhaps signalled a thaw in relations between East and West?
Throughout the 1980s, the FRG under Kohl since 1982 had shown its willingness to work with reforming Communist countries such as Poland and Hungary
When did Kohl go to Moscow?
February 1990
When Kohl visited Moscow in February 1990, what landmark statement did Gorbachev make that suggests that he had accepted the unity of Germany?
The German People must decide for themselves which path they choose to follow”.
If Gorbachev’s actions were to make unity inevitable, it was his acceptance of what that truly did?
the GDR being a member of NATO
What did Bush announce in december 1989?
the USA would only support unity if they new German state was a member of NATO
For Gorbachev in 1989, what was evident about the GDR and how willing was he to pursue this?
For Gorbachev it was clear only a massive loan could prop up the GDR and he was unwilling to pursue this given Moscow’s own economic problems.
When did the 4+2 negations commence?
March 1990
What was the key issue of the 4+2 conference?
NATO
The success of what in January 1990 put renewed pressure on Gorbachev?
The CDU led Alliance for Germany
What did the success of the CDU led Alliance for Germany mean for Parliament?
It was now firmly in favour of unity
How did the Alliance for Germany request membership of Germany?
The Alliance for Germany requested membership of the FRG under Article 23
What did Article 23 combine with to put extreme pressure on the USSR?
Economic unity in july
What suggests that Gorbachev did not want to accept unity, but was forced to accept it was the reality?
The USSR was in its own financial crisis and required foreign loans, a request rejected by both the USA and UK which meant that Gorbachev had to turn to the FRG for help.
