 |
 Germany
Berlin Wall Falls, Germany Reunifies
Helmut Kohl of the Christian Democrat Party
became chancellor in 1982. An economic upswing in 1986 led to Kohl's
reelection. The fall of the Communist government in East Germany left only
Soviet objections to German reunification to be dealt with. On the night
of Nov. 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall was dismantled, making reunification all
but inevitable. In July 1990, Kohl asked Soviet leader Gorbachev to drop
his objections in exchange for financial aid from (West) Germany.
Gorbachev agreed, and on Oct. 3, 1990, the German Democratic Republic
acceded to the Federal Republic, and Germany became a united and sovereign
state for the first time since 1945.
A reunited Berlin serves as the official capital
of unified Germany, although the government continued to have
administrative functions in Bonn during the 12-year transition period. The
issues of the cost of reunification and the modernization of the former
East Germany were serious considerations facing the reunified nation.
|
|
Previous
