The Berlin Wall and the Fall of Communism

For arguably more than 70 years Germany has been at the heart of European politics, and therefore world politics. For another forty years, its reunification was the silent issue of world politics. Then for a few years after governments of the world spoke of its potential occurrence. Then without warning it happened so quickly that much of the international community was taken by surprise. Having been of such an importance the events that surrounded reunification ultimately led to the much more anticipated collapse of the Soviet Union. It has become apparent that Germany is, if not at the center, very central to world politics. Despite having appeared to occur so suddenly, the diplomacy of German reunification occurred over a much longer period of time than noticed. While the American government seemed quite eager to reunify Germany, both Britain and France did not share those same sentiments. By chronologically examining the events and treaties that led up to the reunification it will possible to look at where Germany dictated their own sovereignty and where external international pressure took precedence.
After the Second World War, during the infamous Yalta Conference between President Roosevelt, Prime Minister Churchill and General Secretary Stalin, the issue of a post-war Germany became one of the central talking points. Clearly the same mistake that was made during the earlier Treaty of Versailles could not be made again, Germany was to be reorganized and rebuilt. Subsequently Germany was divided amongst the wartime-allied powers the United Kingdom, the USSR, the United States, and later France (after the UK and the US ceded parts of their territory). The initial intention in spite of this was not to split Germany, but rather to designate zones of administration. However one of the first points on the Soviet agenda was Poland; the former areas of the Oder River and the Neisse River in the North East of Germany were put under Polish administration. In effect...