German Politicians:Their connection and controversy

Structure: Presentation of the politicians:

1.Willy Brandt

2.Egon Bahr

3.Erich Honecker

4.Helmut Kohl

5. Hans-Dietrich Genscher Connection of the politicians Controversy between them East-West Conflict Role of the politicians in the East-West Conflict

Willy Brandt

*18.12.1913 in Lübeck

†08.10.1992 in Unkel

-1957-1966 Berlin‘s mayor

-1966-1969 foreign minister

-1969-1974 fourth federal

chancellor of

Germany

-1971 Nobel Prize for Peace

for his politics towards

the east

Egon Bahr*19.031922 in Treffurt

-1972-1974 federal minister for

special duties

-1974-1976 federal minister for

economical

cooperation

-Key mastermind and former of the eastern politics in the Brandt government.

Erich Honecker*25.08.1912 in Neunkirchen

†29.05.1994 in Santiago de Chile

-ca.1970-1980 council chairman

of the GDR, SED

and the National

Defense

-Material organizer of the construction of the Berlin Wall

Helmut Kohl*03.04.1930 in Ludwigshafen

-1969-1976 prime minister of

Rheinland-Pfalz

-1973-1998: CDU’s chairman

-1982-1998:sixth federal

chancellor of

Germany

-1989/1990:Former of the

German reunion

(‘’father of the reunification’’)

Hans-Dietrich Genscher

*21.03.1927 in Reideburg

-1969-1974 minister of the

interior of Germany

-1974-1985 chairman of the FDP

-1974-1992 without interruption

minister of the

external and the

replacement of the

chancellor of

Germany

Connection Willy Brandt – Egon Bahr:

While Willy Brandt reigned Germany

Egon Bahr was federal minister for special

Duties

Together they were masterminds in the

German eastern politics Helmut Kohl-Hans-Dietrich Genscher / Erich

Honecker:

They were all in the government of their country

when the Berlin Wall fell

Controversy Helmut Kohl – Hans-Dietrich Genscher / Erich

Honecker:

While Helmut Kohl and Hans-Dietrich Genscher

tried to reunite Germany Erich

Honecker wasn’t of their opinion

and just believed in his conception of a

separated Germany.

East-West Conflict Main conflict between USA and UdSSR They wanted to avoid a nuclear war Moreover they tried to increase their power

in the world. The conflict escalated in 1961/1962 because

of the Cuba Crisis To avoid a war >> Kennedy and Chrutschow

invented the Hot Wire to communicate The East-West Conflict ended with the

breakup of the UdSSR in 1991

Role of the politicians in the East-West Conflict Willy Brandt and Egon Bahr: New-east politics:

special communication politic between east and west and the East Contracts with Poland and the UdSSR with the principle of ,,change by approach’’

Helmut Kohl and Hans-Dietrich Genscher:#

their politics were involved in the reunion of East- and Westgermany in 1989. It served as ideal for the UdSSR and the USA

Erich Honecker: Was against an approach of east and west and believed in the east-west system until the end of the UdSSR in 1991

Sources

Book: ,,Die Bundesrepublik’’ The Internet