1 / 26

The Road to German Reunification: A Historical Perspective

Explore the key events and factors that led to the reunification of Germany, from the division after WW2 to the fall of the Berlin Wall. Learn about economic challenges, political developments, and societal transitions as Germany moved towards unity. Discover how international and national factors played a role in shaping this historic transformation.

timothyr
Download Presentation

The Road to German Reunification: A Historical Perspective

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. German Reunification

  2. Bundestag elections 18.Sept 2005

  3. Kanzlerin Merkel?

  4. Economic problems today • 2001 – 2004 GDP increase of 0.6 %/year (eurozone’s combined average of 1.3%) • 5 Mill unemployed = 10% of the work force (eurozone average is 8.7%) East Germany: 20%. • Exports grown by 57 % since 1999. • Eastern Germany remains a major problem for the country

  5. Division of Germany after WW2

  6. Founding of two German States • Proclamation of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG- BRD): 23. May 1949 • Chancellor: Konrad Adenauer • Proclamation of the Democratic Republic of Germany (GDR – DDR): 7. October 1949 • Head of State of the GDR: Walter Ulbricht

  7. FRG: Member of Western European Union 1955: Nato Recognition of Oder-Neisse Border Alliances

  8. GDR 1955: Member of Warsaw Pact Both countries become members of the UN in 1973 Alliances

  9. GDR: Policy of demarcation 1949-1989 • 1952: closing of the borders • 1961: building of the Berlin Wall • 1967: separate citizenship Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz – Law of State Citizenship • 1970: proclamation of the ‘socialist nation’ • 1974: removal of the word German from the constitution

  10. State Security Apparatus (Staatsicherheit – Stasi) • Ministerium für Staatssicherheit – Ministry for State Security • Role of the Stasi

  11. Factors leading to Reunification • International factors: • Decline of Eastern block states: Gorbachev’s reforms of Glasnost (openess) and perestroika (restructuring) • Economic success of the Federal Republic

  12. Factors leading to Reunification • National factors: • Dissatisfaction with socialism 2. The economic situation in the GDR 3. The majority of West-Germans wanted to be reunited with the East Germans.

  13. On the road to reunification • Effect of glasnost and perestroika: non-communist governments in Hungary, Polen and Czechoslovakia. • Opening of borders to the West • 1000s of GDR citizens flee to FRG embassies in Hungary

  14. Monday demonstrations: discontent of the people Wir sind das Volk – we are the people Wir sind ein Volk – we are one people 4. November 1989: Demonstrations: http://web.uvic.ca/geru/261/003.jpg National factors

  15. GDR economy 1970 - 1989 • 1971: economic problems • Honecker’s solutions: • Cheap housing, higher basic wages, better pensions, better maternity provisions, better health care in order to have a better work force. • Problem: how to finance this?

  16. Economic problems • Export deficit of 390 million DM • Import deficits of 100 million DM: solution: • 1972: nationalisation of 11500 private firms • (Volkseigene Betriebe - VEB) • Increase of economic production, but factories old. No investment in industry • 1983: production half that of BRD

  17. Debt • State subsidies: rent, food, health = 1980’s: quarter of state budget • 1981: debt of 24.2 thousand million DM • Raising foreign currency: selling of antiquities, art and people

  18. Fall of the Berlin WallFall der Berliner Mauer • 9th November 1989: Fall of the Wall • 18th March 1990: first free democratic elections in the GDR • 1st July 1990: Treaty for the creation of a Union of the Currency, Economy and Society • 3rd October 1990: Date of reunification – Tag der deutschen Einheit

  19. Maueröffnung 1989: http://web.uvic.ca/geru/261/004.jpg http://web.uvic.ca/geru/261/005.jpg Fall of the Berlin Wall

  20. Basic LawGrundgesetz der BRD • New Preamble im Grundgesetz: • ‘Die Deutschen haben in freier Selbstbestimmung die Einheit und Freiheit Deutschlands vollendet.’ ‘In free self-determination, the Germans have brought to completion the unity and freedom of Germany.’

  21. Germany today

  22. Problems of unification • For ex-GDR citizens: • Economic: transition from a planned economy to a free market economy • High unemployment • Rise of xenophobia

  23. Opportunities • Large market in the East • Zonenrandgebiete (areas near the former border) • Improvement of the infrastructure:transport, telecomunications, culture

  24. 15 years on • Still high unemployment (5 million – 10% in the West, ~20 % in the East) • ‘Ostalgie’ e.g Good Bye Lenin

  25. Die Mauer in den Köpfen? Wall in the heads of the people? 15 years on…

  26. Germany and the EU

More Related