Manfred Woerner and the 1993 Price Tag for Eastern Europe
For years, the record of NATO's early expansion effort hid a fundamental contradiction: the private promises made to Moscow and the public push for membership in the East.
By Vera Kessler ·
CSCE
East Berlin Plotted to Dismantle NATO in 1969
West German imperialism was targeted for isolation as East Berlin used an offensive policy of peace to shift the balance of power in favor of socialism.
By Vera Kessler ·
Juergen Diesel Sought Loophole to Unlock European Borders in 1973
European borders were jeopardized when West German diplomats tried to weaken inviolable frontiers by introducing 'peaceful change' during 1973 negotiations.
By Vera Kessler ·
East German Planners Brand Human Rights as Ideological Subversion
East Germany's internal grip on power faced an existential threat from Western demands for the movement of people and ideas during 1972 talks for a new European security agreement.
By Vera Kessler ·
GDR Planners Cast Security Conference as Offensive Weapon
American military influence was targeted for rollback in a 1970 strategy that used diplomacy to mask a fight between systems, while gaps in the record leave specific interests blacked out.
By Vera Kessler ·
Victor Malzev Orders East Germany to Yield on Sovereign Status
GDR diplomats fought to avoid being listed as a subordinate appendage, but Soviet Ambassador Victor Malzev warned that such vanity threatened the start of the Helsinki consultations.
By Roy Castellano ·
Winzer Warns NATO "Closed Front" Targets Socialist Sovereignty
East Berlin feared the freedom of movement of persons and ideas was a strategic weapon designed to undermine the internal stability of the Warsaw Treaty states.
By Vera Kessler ·
Klaus Blech blocked Soviet bid to sanctify socialist treaties
West Germany fought to prevent a security conference from becoming a coronation for the GDR, demanding free movement of people and ideas before granting the legitimacy of a summit.
By Roy Castellano ·
Nixon Used 'Controlled Tensions' to Block East German Recognition
East German officials feared the US used 'levers of obstruction' to protect NATO and prevent the GDR from gaining formal international recognition.
By Vera Kessler ·
Siegfried Bock treated human rights as currency for postwar borders
Divided families seeking reunions and legal marriages were treated as currency by East German officials to secure Western acceptance of the socialist status quo.
By Marcus Boone ·