Thatcher wasn't so keen on German reunification

[Dennis S]

Thatcher's fight against German unity

Papers published by the Foreign Office reveal the extent of Margaret Thatcher's opposition to German unification. As Brian Hanrahan reports, she had an ally in French President Francois Mitterrand, but was at odds with her own foreign secretary.

The fall of the Berlin wall was a moment that brought joy to much of the world, catapulting the issue of German re-unification onto the international agenda.

But both British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and France's President Mitterrand were worried.

More:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8251211.stm

[Gutenberg]

My father wasn't all that keen about it either. His father had fought the Germans, and he fought the Germans, and his son had driven a tank all over the West German countryside, and Dad was quite dubious about the prospect of a strong and unified Germany. I can't begrudge him his misgivings even though things have turned out well so far.

[cbelt3]

A united Germany was considered a significant threat to anyone in Europe with half a brain. The Iron Lady knew this just as well as the Soviets.

[RgrF]

Interesting stance to take since her royal family is directly descended from Germany.

[Don Kiyoti]

Gutenberg wrote:
My father wasn't all that keen about it either. His father had fought the Germans, and he fought the Germans, and his son had driven a tank all over the West German countryside, and Dad was quite dubious about the prospect of a strong and unified Germany. I can't begrudge him his misgivings even though things have turned out well so far.

Things haven't turned out all that great, actually. The German economy took a giant hit, trying to absorb all the suddenly unemployed Easterners, along with all the huge environmental problems that were festering in the East. It was more like trying to merge two distinct nations, one broke and backwards, rather that unifying one.

Not that the fall of The Wall was a bad thing, at least not in the very long run. But unification is far from complete.

[Black]

I lived in Germany during the reunification.
Everyone was concerned about a united Germany, even many Germans.

[Black]

By the way, isn't someone supposed to have posted in fake german by now?
Was is wrong mit du alles? Do you nicht respekten daß obligatorische vorum traditionen?

[Lux Interior]

Ich habe gern zee fallen of zee wallen.

If you were against a united Germany, does that mean you were pro-communism?

[Pops]

We caved in when the Germans began starving. Who knows what would have resulted if the Morgenthau Plan had been fully implemented.

[JoeH]

Pops wrote:
We caved in when the Germans began starving. Who knows what would have resulted if the Morgenthau Plan had been fully implemented.

Probably a united communist Germany fully under control of the USSR. In the end a military man, General Marshall, had a better plan than a Treasury Secretary for handling the post-war Germany and the rest of Europe.