As I read Belinda Cartens-Wickham's Gender in Cartoons of German Unification article, I wondered if rapid reunification was indeed the best course of action in 1990. As I see it, there were three options on the table that the East and West German politicians could have chosen from.
Option #1- rapid reunification
This option was seen by many Germans, including West Germany chancellor Kohl as inevitable. Kohl's "popularity stood at 31 percent" at the end of 1989, so it made political sense for him to push for a quick reunification (marriage between East and West Germany) to cement himself in the pages of history and hopefully bolster his poor approval ratings too. This leads to the many cartoons like figure 3, which show the FRG as Chancellor Kohl, a groom being held back by several foreign leaders from his bride, the passive and meek woman- the DDR. This option leads to several problems, specifically the economic issues. Do we have both states with the same currency? This leads to what was discussed in class as "two uneasy partners" and made life more difficult for East Germans because they had to suddenly pay for gas, food, rent, and other items they had not been paying for under the soviet regime before. What ends up happening in this option is that the West is seen as the groom- powerful, decision maker while East Germany is viewed as the passive, inferior, whorish partner almost holding West Germany down like an anchor economically.
Option #2- Two independent States
If there had been no reunification, then perhaps West Germany would have become an independent nation-state, and so would have East Germany. Much like North and South Korea, I believe that West Germany would have become even more economically superior to East Germany over the next nineteen years, perhaps even one of the big European powers at the turn of the century. Because of East Germany's failing economic situation, there is little doubt that East Germany would have eventually succumbed to a dictatorship or remained a very centralized, government controlled nation, but would have had a trading suitor in WG for imports and exports that EG needed to buy and sell. This probably would have been the least positive outcome for EG and possibly the best one for WG.
Option #3- gradual reunification
Instead of having a unpleasant situation like in fig 11, where Chancellor Kohl is walking down the aisle with his bride, her vail being held down by a vault, and tacks in their path, East and West Germany could have reunited over the course of a few years. This would have allowed for gradual economic transition of currency, more bilateral decision making on the part of East and West German politicians, and less social unrest for the East and West Germans, especially women who would have had more time to find a new job or at least have a date in mind when they knew their job would be taken from them, so they could plan accordingly. Gradual change would have also helped remove the "Ostalgie," or nostalgia for the good ole days East Germans felt towards the years prior to reunification. Gradual reunification would have probably been better economically, politically, and socially for Germans, but option #1 was chosen, and we see today what ultimately came about because of that choice.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You make a very good point. Their really were only three options on the table for deciding the fate of East and West Germany. I also agree that the gradual unification would probably have been in the best interest of both countries. One has to think just what path history would have taken if they had waited to unify Germany. Though it probably would not be as interesting as option 2. But that is neither here nor how or even relevant. Your thesis on why Kohl may have chose to push a quick unification is interesting and one that I had not even considered.
ReplyDeleteIt was something that had to happen. Obviously there was going to be lamentation and growing pains, but the collapse of the Soviet block sent rifts throughout Eastern Europe and most former Soviet countries struggled. You're right that there could have been gradual integration or two different states but communism had to fall and the faster it happened the better off they were in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI think that East Germany was on the verge of economic collapse, and benefited from the quick merger. The West was actually the one that suffered because unification was initially a drain on their economy sending debt and taxes through the roof.
An interesting post although ultimately I agree with Dan that rapid unification was to some extent the only feasible option given the economic conditions in East Germany. All of the former Eastern Bloc states went through difficult transitions and it is unlikely that the people of Germany (East and West) would have been happy with allowinf East Germany to struggle through the economic transition on its own. Besides, anytime tough choices have to be made, someone has to bear the blame. Had it not been Kohl and West Germany, it would have been someone else in those political cartoons.
ReplyDelete