Us from eccles life stops. The cold war ended in moscow in 1990 bringing a new era of peace to europe a divide in 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 lord is real im 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 different then when we won the cold war against. Soviet ambassador about a softer a cough bush here in moscow 30 years ago when the victorious powers of the 2nd world war determined the fate of germany moscow looks back on this treaty with far more criticism than the west does. Know the most of. Those years 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 what to finally do with germany made by p. S. The 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 to. 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 sacrificed. 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 chancellor rhee by horst chik helmut kohls Foreign Policy advisor. He was acting very secretively. Rich to fish but it 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. The other shuttle will shift i think that was a mistake oh now bottom to the ethical field actually come to talk about what could be done after the fall of the wall to put the brakes on the reunification frozen vignettes to calm the situation down this isnt the ceiling but he expressed that in a very unclear manner where you know in. My belief to my report to the chancellor said you havent they are starting to talk about german unity that its high time that we did too this was as old. Calls poll ratings were dire at the time tented saw an opportunity to boost the chancellors popularity. Thats what i told him this was a chance to announce his intentions for german reunification so its out. That same night tel chick started drafting a 10 point plan to reunite germany but cole 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 dietrich. You see there well for i know vernon cha. Shoot but were also prepared to go on a major step further conflicts develop confederal structures between the 2 german nations if we can begin with the aim of creating a federation a federal state order in germany. To show off. The latest speech was momentous. We thought it would be another 5 to 10 years before germany was actually reunited the. Cantar travel 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. Included isnt this ive never taken part in a political discussion where one of the parties left their anger rage so out of control to. Lessen. The gorbachev accuse the chancellor of interfering in the internal affairs of east germany submission nasties and the space that was for me after that conversation i just couldnt imagine 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 and specially the british leader margaret thatcher. The british with the british Prime Minister was strictly against a reunification of germany intelligence. That she was temperamental was that germany was a hostile from the start she was very hostile towards the germans shoko she never had any confidence in the german. She said theyll betray you and they will be trailing. She had a conversation with overtures through in the summer of 90 days you know and when she posts through all school when they. Started to discuss that is giving this she had a couple of conversations with crossfire mitchell who share her misgivings initially indeed would say express them even more forcefully than she ever did of course later gender equality going to change his position will record the she did but at the beginning his views were were he was very very word to the board even though i thought if i was always in the heart of our initial french were both worried that germany would just play hedge a modicum visions again. After all germanys g. D. P. Was the same as france and britain but together related to them that there was a potential threat that arose. When im president francois mitterrand said straight away i would call nicole she will if you want to unite germany thats your business you can do that under above everything this is you like me i wouldnt interfere yes if you want frances approval even you need to respect what 3 conditions one you know the order like it or the healing to your mode 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 traveled to washington to discuss proceedings with u. S. Secretary of state james baker bakers colleagues own ready had press sites 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 rights Robert Zoellick set out americas goals in a confidential strategy document the u. S. One. 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 the united front. The u. S. Government was very firm about its stipulation. To food a vis the board came with a demand that the united germany must be a member of nato and that was a stumbling block that we werent expecting and we didnt initiate a few times. The question was how when the soviet union react how could anyone convince poor but you have to agree to the stipulation of the United States genscher 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 thats good. 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 shared with the soviet foreign minister shevardnadze i once told me that in january 1090 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 edge of the queue. Just such decide. See if actions and harsh decisions werent exactly go but dial mature in the. Severe measures werent in his nature it wasnt how he operates he said they were still criticised for it today in our country and others want somebody who gives 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 so vehicle person even song need to as an Enemy Alliance it needs to was perceived as an enemy of the soviet union with the brits and in fact need to actually find its under that premise its at least as well as a book. Getting gorbachevs approval would be a tall order baker iterated gantries message that if gorbachev agreed to the nato membership the u. S. 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 the drug. For hansard. That well obviously an 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 position 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 the use of the bill if that was a very big mistake now were left to face the music and live with the consequences of that mistake this that there secured a stable then effect i think that it was clear that without those assurances it would have been much harder for gorbachev to. Have to agree. To the 2 plus 4 group but. The day after bakers meeting chancellor cowen German Foreign minister genscher arrived in moscow the soviets were clearly happy with americas assurances about nato cole also promised Financial Aid gorbachev gave the green light for the 2 plus 4 agreement on german unity. To see the. Research the general secretary gorbachev has unequivocably given me his word that the soviet union will respect the wishes of the german. Its to live as one nation. But the soviet union also had conditions foreign minister shevardnadze stipulated before the International Press that a unified germany would have to maintain political and military neutrality upon his return home brushed over this very clear message from the kremlin he didnt want to taint the good news. That the soviet union imagine if unified germany in late had a state that yes of course all this was said yesterday a. Cold strategy was successful and his popularity grew hed made further offers of Financial Aid to gorbachev to discourage the kremlin from doing anything to block the way forward because without this as you none of this would have happened if the soviet union hadnt been in such a dire economic position at the time of the year like it. Did so we do know it was struggling to keep its head above water and the west knew that this it was a unique opportunity it just had to be seen that the guy just some. In the Canadian Capital ottawa tensions were stirring over german reunification efforts many Foreign Ministers of the 23. 00 nato and warsaw pact countries were angry that they hadnt been included in the 2 plus for talks on german unity and with a dramatic struggle ensued behind the scenes together germany and the us managed to fend off demands for a huge peace conference it would have had to involve around 100. 00 countries any nation that had charges against nazi germany. Mainstreams for truck fuel of peace treaty with us out of the question for us. For the way that inevitably put the issue of reparations on the agenda its sure. We wanted to keep that out of the unification process at all costs it was unheard method for and youll spoil says for. If there. Had been a peace conference all the countries occupied by german troops during world war 2 could have to man did reparations the u. S. Wasnt prepared to enter years of negotiations and put its foot down it was complicated everybody felt like they had a stake in the process but he said no its going to be to push forward. Before the negotiations started chancellor kohl flew to the us to spend 2 days at camp david with president george h. W. Bush it was here that they set out a game plan for the 2 plus 4 talks. Really good position because we established early on as camp david a relationship of contravention trust between kohl and bush and to ensure baker and we said we will Stay Together and we will push this through a regardless of the opposition provided. Chester co you support the idea of germany in there. It was clear from the confidential minutes that bush and cole saw eye to eye when cole asked the american president what could be offered to the soviet union in return for germanys nato membership bush said to hell with that we prevailed and they didnt we cant let the soviets clutch victory from the jaws of defeat cole they want something in return bush youve got deep pockets. The 1st ever Election Campaign for a democratically elected government in east germany the vote on march 18th 1990 would decide who represented east germany in the 2 plus 4 talks. Helmut kohl promised a fast Economic Union and a shared currency between the 2 german nations he supported the g. D. R. Coalition alliance for germany whose top candidate was low tardy most year the alliance also wanted a fast reunification with west germany it won with 48 percent of the vote for cool going to the people of east germany didnt vote for the c. D. U. Because they wanted to but because they knew that helmut kohl was behind him to this result brings an incredible responsibility and an expectation of our people but this isnt just an expectation of us but also of west germany and we expect clear answers. Normally when a politician is elected the 1st thing they do is to think about how to get reelected in 4 years we didnt need to do that our task right from the start was to abolish ourselves up social studies to show that its true that i was Prime Minister but i was also a kind of insolvency administrator has. No time to mess here formed a coalition with eastern s. P. D. Marcos meco became foreign minister he didnt trust the members of the previously governing socialist unity party differs all. And it was extremely difficult to create proper decisionmaking structures during this time i walked into the Ministry Like it was the enemys house his house. Meco brought with him confidants from the Peace Movement people who he aligned with my concert youre going missile bits to follow god i lied to the formula was unity as fast as possible but as good as necessary we had 2 objectives certain conditions were not in the interest of the population we represented for cleanup. At the 1st 2 plus 4 talks in bonn the us and the western allies were forming a front against the soviet union that was only diplomatically concealed. Genscher promised east German Foreign minister mechelle there would be such close cooperation that not even a sheet of paper would fit between them. Just to show to dominance at the time i didnt understand what game she had really meant by that it was that i should follow him so closely i only realized later that he was saying i should follow him like a loyal dog but at the time i was still under the illusion that we will part of the negotiations and discussions would i have a problem even remembering the name of the trap who represented the g. D. R. And i feel sorrier actually for them because you know the people who are representing them for the purpose of the 2 thoughts for living in hope they didnt have a lot of leverage over any of this i dont feel any body around the table thought that the outcome of these negotiations was going to depend on whether sitting in the g. D. R. This agreed or not if were going to try and we just didnt want to fall like a rotten apple into west germany where they would just decide what they do with us and try to mostly because one. The 1st round of the 2 plus 4 talks proved difficult while for. Once britain and west germany were aligned with the american strategy the soviet delegation wanted to subject a unified germany to strict conditions edvard shevardnadze demanded political and military neutrality from germany. Wins a good position. Our position in west germany was not made any easier by east germany as the lack of cooperation does d. D. D. A bit loose mr d. D. R. Was not thrilled about the United C