🇪🇺European History – 1945 to Present Unit 15 – Ostpolitik: Normalizing East-West Relations

What is Ostpolitik?

• Ostpolitik, meaning "Eastern Policy" in German, was a foreign policy approach adopted by West Germany in the late 1960s and early 1970s
• Aimed to normalize relations between West Germany and Eastern European countries, particularly East Germany and the Soviet Union
• Sought to reduce tensions and improve diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties with the Eastern Bloc
• Represented a significant shift from the previous policy of the Hallstein Doctrine, which had refused to recognize East Germany as a legitimate state
• Emphasized dialogue, negotiation, and cooperation rather than confrontation and isolation
• Recognized the post-World War II realities and the need for a more pragmatic approach to East-West relations
• Sought to create a more stable and peaceful Europe by reducing the risk of conflict and promoting understanding between the two blocs

Historical Context

• Ostpolitik emerged in the context of the Cold War, characterized by the ideological and political divide between the Western and Eastern blocs
• The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 had heightened tensions and solidified the division of Germany
• The 1960s saw a gradual thawing of relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, exemplified by the Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty of 1963
• The Prague Spring of 1968, a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia, demonstrated the potential for change within the Eastern Bloc
• The election of Willy Brandt as Chancellor of West Germany in 1969 provided the political impetus for a new approach to East-West relations
• The Soviet Union, under the leadership of Leonid Brezhnev, was more open to dialogue and détente with the West
• The United States, under President Richard Nixon, was also pursuing a policy of détente with the Soviet Union, creating a more favorable international environment for Ostpolitik

Key Players and Architects

• Willy Brandt, Chancellor of West Germany from 1969 to 1974, was the primary architect and driving force behind Ostpolitik
  • As mayor of West Berlin from 1957 to 1966, Brandt had experienced firsthand the consequences of the Cold War divide
  • Brandt believed that engagement and dialogue were necessary to reduce tensions and improve relations with the East
• Egon Bahr, Brandt's close advisor and strategist, played a crucial role in developing and implementing Ostpolitik
  • Bahr coined the phrase "change through rapprochement" (Wandel durch Annäherung), which became a guiding principle of Ostpolitik
  • Bahr conducted secret negotiations with Soviet officials, laying the groundwork for later agreements
• Walter Scheel, Foreign Minister under Brandt, was instrumental in negotiating key treaties with Eastern European countries
• Leonid Brezhnev, General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was receptive to Brandt's overtures and supported the normalization of relations
• Erich Honecker, leader of East Germany, initially resisted Ostpolitik but eventually engaged in negotiations with West Germany
• Henry Kissinger, U.S. Secretary of State, supported Ostpolitik as part of the broader policy of détente with the Soviet Union

Main Goals and Objectives

• Normalize relations with East Germany and establish a modus vivendi (way of living) between the two German states
• Improve relations with other Eastern European countries, particularly Poland and Czechoslovakia
• Promote economic cooperation and trade between West Germany and the Eastern Bloc
• Facilitate human contacts and cultural exchanges across the Iron Curtain
• Contribute to a more stable and peaceful Europe by reducing tensions and the risk of conflict
• Lay the groundwork for eventual German reunification by maintaining ties and dialogue with East Germany
• Enhance West Germany's international standing and influence by taking a leading role in East-West diplomacy

Implementation and Strategies

• Brandt and his team pursued a series of bilateral negotiations and agreements with Eastern European countries
• The first major breakthrough was the Treaty of Moscow, signed with the Soviet Union in August 1970
  • The treaty recognized the post-World War II borders and renounced the use of force
  • It opened the door for further negotiations with other Eastern European countries
• The Treaty of Warsaw, signed with Poland in December 1970, recognized the Oder-Neisse line as Poland's western border
• The Four Power Agreement on Berlin, signed in September 1971, eased tensions over the divided city and improved access between West Berlin and West Germany
• The Basic Treaty, signed between East and West Germany in December 1972, established a basis for relations between the two states
  • The treaty did not constitute formal recognition of East Germany but acknowledged its existence as a separate political entity
• Brandt's government also pursued a series of smaller-scale agreements on issues such as trade, cultural exchanges, and humanitarian contacts
• Ostpolitik was accompanied by a parallel policy of inner-German détente, aimed at improving relations between the two German states
  • This included measures such as increased travel opportunities, family reunifications, and postal and telephone communications

Major Agreements and Treaties

• Treaty of Moscow (August 1970): Signed between West Germany and the Soviet Union, renouncing the use of force and recognizing post-World War II borders
• Treaty of Warsaw (December 1970): Signed between West Germany and Poland, recognizing the Oder-Neisse line as Poland's western border
• Four Power Agreement on Berlin (September 1971): Signed by the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom, and France, easing tensions over the divided city and improving access between West Berlin and West Germany
• Transit Agreement (May 1972): Signed between West Germany and East Germany, facilitating travel between the two states
• Basic Treaty (December 1972): Signed between East and West Germany, establishing a basis for relations and acknowledging the existence of two German states
• Treaty of Prague (December 1973): Signed between West Germany and Czechoslovakia, nullifying the Munich Agreement of 1938 and recognizing the inviolability of borders
• Helsinki Accords (August 1975): Signed by 35 countries, including West Germany and Eastern European states, promoting cooperation, security, and human rights in Europe

Impact on East-West Relations

• Ostpolitik contributed to a significant reduction of tensions between West Germany and the Eastern Bloc
• It facilitated a more stable and predictable relationship between the two German states, reducing the risk of conflict
• The policy opened channels for dialogue, negotiation, and cooperation on a range of issues, from trade to humanitarian concerns
• Ostpolitik paved the way for increased economic ties between West Germany and Eastern European countries
  • Trade between West Germany and the Soviet Union, for example, grew significantly in the 1970s
• The policy contributed to a broader process of détente between the Western and Eastern blocs, alongside parallel efforts by the United States and other countries
• Ostpolitik helped to create a more favorable environment for the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE), which culminated in the Helsinki Accords of 1975
• The normalization of relations between West Germany and Eastern European countries laid the groundwork for future cooperation and integration, particularly after the end of the Cold War

Legacy and Long-Term Effects

• Ostpolitik is widely regarded as one of the most significant and successful foreign policy initiatives of post-war Germany
• The policy demonstrated the potential for dialogue and cooperation to overcome long-standing divisions and hostilities
• Ostpolitik contributed to a more stable and peaceful Europe in the 1970s and 1980s, reducing the risk of conflict between the two blocs
• The normalization of relations between West Germany and Eastern European countries facilitated the process of German reunification in 1990
  • The ties and channels of communication established through Ostpolitik proved valuable in managing the complex process of reunification
• The success of Ostpolitik inspired similar approaches to international relations, emphasizing diplomacy, engagement, and cooperation over confrontation
• The legacy of Ostpolitik can be seen in Germany's continued commitment to multilateralism, diplomacy, and European integration
• The policy also had a lasting impact on Germany's relations with Russia and other former Soviet states, laying the foundation for a more cooperative and mutually beneficial partnership
• Critics argue that Ostpolitik may have inadvertently prolonged the existence of the East German regime by providing it with international legitimacy and economic support
  • Others counter that the policy ultimately contributed to the peaceful end of the Cold War and the reunification of Germany