Stocks. The cold war ended in moscow in 1990 bringing a new era of peace to europe a divided germany was free to reunite the treaty that paved the way for german unity was signed here in moscow 30 years ago it was a historic victory for democracy and the deep rifts in europe were on the road to recovery. The word is we are still aware that this was the most important signature of my life the book. It wasnt an illusion it was a political project to keep. We did a lot of things a lot differently then when we won the cold war against. Soviet ambassador about a small town or coffee was here in moscow 30 years ago when the victorious powers of the 2nd world war determined the fate of germany moscow knocks back on this treaty with far more criticism than the west does. The other most of. This i think listen see is speeches and champagne lift or rather try to send annoying off to taste in new when you think about all of the problems that arose during the many negotiations about whats to finally do with germany may but. When you consider that a treaty was supposed to solve all problems once and for all that people had been fighting over for many decades. The Global Political decisions made back then still affect the world today the great power struggles of the time could have thwarted german reunification or people forget today that this was something that there are a lots of things that could have gone wrong and so you wanted to try to move it forward as rapidly but is securely as possible and the key driver for that was the people on the ground in germany. 1989 was a time of euphoria in germany as the berlin wall crumbled the iron curtain in europe lifted. But how would moscow react most people thought soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev would never release east germany the soviet union had sacrify. By so many people during the 2nd world war and east germany was compensation the day after the wall fell the people of berlin were celebrating the end of a divided germany with their chancellor helmut kohl an envoy from the kremlin would soon arrive in the west german capital bonn on a secret mission he was greeted at the chance to marry by horst tell chick helmut kohls Foreign Policy advisor. He was acting very secretively. Rich to give you straight had important talks of the highest level and they discussed a lot of issues fear foreign to scrutiny all the issues that some kind of connection to the topic of german unity to them too much. Yellowish as a ship i think that was a mistake on our part on to the ethical what shed actually come to talk about what could be done after the full of the wall to put the brakes on the reunification froze that it was built for us to calm the situation down this isnt you see you but he expressed that in a very unclear manner of living in that. My beliefs and my report to the chancellor said that when they are starting to talk about german unity its that its high time that we did too this was as old. Calls poll ratings were dire at the time township saw an opportunity to boost the chancellors popularity. Out there its i told him this was a chance to announce his intentions for german reunification it. That same night tel trick started drafting a 10 point plan to reunite germany but kohl kept it secret until november 28th when he presented his plan for reunification in the bundestag it came as a surprise even to their Coalition Partner the f. D. P. And foreign minister hans di trish. As you know of course i know very many. Shoot but were also prepared to go on a major step further to develop can federal structure is between the 2 german nations with the aim of creating a federation a federal state order in germany. Made a speech was momentous. We thought it would be another 5 to 10 years before germany was actually reunited that. Guenter traveled to moscow the chancellors arbitrary 10 point plan had angered the victorious powers of the 2nd world war and sure had to apologize to gorbachev and ask for his understanding about west germanys desire to reunite. Im cletus english i have never taken part in a political discussion where one of the parties left their anger rage so out of control to. Get us out. Of the gorbachev accuse the chancellor of interfering in the internal affairs of east germany submission nasties in the space. After that conversation i just couldnt imagine in the soviet union agreeing to a process that would allow the reunification of our country any time in the foreseeable future aside from. The western allies were also concerned about the way things were developing in germany especially the british leader margaret thatcher. The politically the british Prime Minister was strictly against a reunification of germany its well below his temperament who was germany was hostile from the start she was very hostile to the salaciously to the germans. She never had any confidence in the germans as she said theyll betray you and they will be trailing you. She had a conversation with overtures through some of those notches you know and when she called. They both started to discuss that discovery as she had a couple of conversations with mitchell who share have a screen judicially indeed would say express them even more forcefully than she ever did because later judge were going to go to he changed his position will record the she did but at the beginning his views which were he was very very word good were in and out of the fights always the ones that are efficient france were both worried that germany would just play hedge a modicum visions that had. After all germanys g. D. P. With the same as france and britain but together. That there was a potential threat that arose. When the president francois mitterrand said straight away. She really wants you to unite germany thats your business you can do that about everything this is you like me i wouldnt interfere. If you want frances approval even you need to respect 13 conditions one you know the orderlies in order to heal and to see more of the denuclearization of germany and 3 in the real europe. Washington was also following this political earthquake in germany west germany had hoped that the powerful United States would support reunification. As the u. S. Was seen as a necessary indispensable a that would help to overcome resistance from the french and british sides which side foreign minister genscher travel to washington to discuss proceedings with u. S. Secretary of state james baker bakers colleagues own ready had precisely ideas about how the International Negotiations on german unity should play out we focused on the idea that the key players of the 2 germanys and the 4 powers that had the right Robert Zelnick set out americas goals in a confidential strategy document the u. S. Wanted to solidify its leadership role in europe through what became known as the 2 plus 4 talks and to keep a united germany within the western military Alliance Nato zelotes paper reads we want them in our tent not in one of their own working with the germans right now gorbachev needs to show he has some control over the process 2 plus 4 gives him that cover with little real control. One would know this would be hard for the soviets and when the soviets would push back you needed to respond with a united front. The Us Government was very firm about its stipulation. A vis the board came with the demands of the united germany must be a member of nato that was a stumbling block that we werent expecting or national. Election that. The question was how when the soviet union react how could anyone convince corporate chef to agree to the stipulation of the United States. Had an idea. We have agreed that there would be no intention to expand the need to jurisdiction eastwards that doesnt just apply to east germany it applies in general. But so this did. While standing next to the u. S. Secretary of state announced that the west would respect the Strategic Interests of the soviet union. Since the end of the 2nd world war large group units of the red army had been stationed on east german territory they crushed the uprising in east germany by force in 1953 just as they did later in 1968 with the prague spring. Susan type we had over a 180000. 00 soviet troops in the country at that time we had a whole family full of wives and children too. We had soviet Security Forces i think the total number of people was around 650000 towards unmentionables. Soviet foreign minister shevardnadze i once told me that in january 1090. 00 soviet leaders were still thinking about deploying troops in east germany and closing the borders against some additional easily could have on the east german army would have marched along to. The manager that you. Just such decides. See if actions and harsh decisions werent exactly gopichand old style mature in the. Severe measures werent in his nature it wasnt how he operated that they were he still criticized for it today in our country and others words and those against the. U. S. Secretary of state james baker visited moscow on a mission to win gorbachevs approval for the 2 plus for negotiations on german unity baker felt optimistic we saw gorbachev and shevardnadze as reformers. We believed them to be that they turned out to be the head. But baker knew the kremlin would strongly oppose a united germany becoming a member of nato. For every top soviet politician every soviet a person even saw me too as an Enemy Alliance needs who was perceived as an enemy of the soviet union with the brits and in fact nature was actually find its under that premise that its at least as there was a book. Getting gorbachevs approval would be a tall order baker iterated gantries message that if gorbachev agreed to the nato membership the us would not take military advantage. I remember bakers words it was you dont have to answer immediately but think about this. Assuming there is no expansion of nato or jurisdiction to the east not more niche wouldnt it be better and then he described to have a germany in scotched in nato wis an American Military presence in europe for the future stability of this road. Gorbachev answered. That well obviously any expansion of nato to the east who is unacceptable but i understand what youre saying and i will give it serious thought. What baker said here would be assured time and time again by western politicians to the soviet you. There would be no eastward expansion of nato there was no intention to change the current military power balance in europe a claim that would come back to haunt baker. Within 2 days the United States position changed on that we told the soviet our president thats not our position they never said anything its still a bone of contention today did baker and other western politicians make promises about nato that their successors didnt keep music so whats it like you it was a mistake not to treat these assurances the need to would not expand east in writings that that was a very big mistake now were left to face the music and live with the consequences of that mistake this that theyre secure then effect i think that it was clear that without those assurances it would have been much harder for gorbachev to. Agree. To the 2 plus 4 grew much. The day after bakers meeting chancellor cowen German Foreign minister genscher arrived in moscow