Scientific literature tries to give an answer to the question of the ‘Cold War’s End’ in multiple ways. In order to relate eventual domestic factors with the peaceful ending of the East-West conflict, three questions have to be asked: What are the possible factors? Which states were involved? How can an impact of endogenous elements be validated? In order to identify eventual domestic factors, it seems expedient to have an initial look at the merit of two winners of the Nobel Prize for peace: Mikhail Gorbachev and Willy Brandt, founding fathers of glasnost and perestroika in the USSR and Ostpolitik in Western Germany, respectively. It is, however, kept in mind that the United States of America exerted indirect, as well as direct influence on domestic policy of both countries.
Given these preliminaries, the structure of this essay is fourfold. First of all, domestic factors are put into historical context considering social, political and economical factors both in Eastern and Western Germany and the Soviet Union. Afterwards, the historical facts are endowed with standpoints of several IR scholars, explaining theoretical issues and making predominant use of a social constructivist approach. Finally, a conclusion is drawn, summarizing and interpreting the results.
At a glance
- Grade: 1.3 (1.0 is the best grade)
- Applies social constructivism to German rapprochement and Soviet reforms
- Examines Brandt’s Ostpolitik alongside Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika
- Uses Alexander Wendt’s account of state interests and territorial recognition
- 21 sources in the bibliography
Contents
1. GDR and FRG – Two states, one domestic factor
2. Glasnost and perestroika – Two reforms, one domestic fracture
3. Two domestic factors, one theoretical approach
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This essay asks what role domestic factors played in ending the Cold War. It examines West German Ostpolitik and Soviet reforms in historical context and interprets their significance through international relations theory, particularly social constructivism.
- German division, rapprochement and Ostpolitik
- Glasnost and perestroika in the Soviet Union
- Domestic identity and relations between states
- Constructivist and realist interpretations
- The influence of United States foreign policy
Excerpt from the Book
GDR and FRG – Two states, one domestic factor
Apart from the ‘hot’ proxy wars in Vietnam, Angola and Afghanistan, the main-stage of the Cold War’s end was Europe. Germany, politically, physically and ideologically divided, virtually served as a “neuralgic point” of the international policy of détente (Wolfrum and Arendes, 2007, p.202). The separation into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) took place after previous efforts in order to achieve a peaceful unification. However, these struggles had been made impossible by ideological and power-political restraints by both Western and Eastern allies. After the cementation of the German break-up in 1949, Western German politicians were determined to enact only laws with provisory character. In 1952, USSR-leader Josef Stalin reinitiated unification talks, proposing a neutral Germany without membership in any military alliance; nevertheless, the degree of ideological cleavage was already too high to allow such an undertaking. This was not least originated by the fact that Western Germany’s first Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, then chairman of the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), expedited Western Germany’s further integration into the West.
After more than two decades of frigid relations, in 1970, Western-German Chancellor Willy Brandt, then chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), risked “Wandel durch Annäherung” (“change through approximation”), introducing his new Ostpolitik (“politics toward the East”), which lead to a decisive easing of German-German tensions. As a result, quasi-diplomatic relations were instated between Eastern and Western Germany, consequently allowing both states to join the United Nations in 1973. Furthermore, mutual renunciation of force was guaranteed. These steps significantly facilitated the Helsinki Accords, which were signed by Brandt’s successor Helmut Schmidt (also SPD) in 1975. Consequently, Brandt’s Ostpolitik represents the first milestone in the way of East-West relaxation and German reunification.
A differently animated bilateral dialogue marks a significant change of domestic state-identity, which will be discussed in the third part of this essay. Since German reunification was a major goal of West-German policy –in fact, it was the only content matter of the West-German constitutional preamble– efforts towards that aspiration could also be termed as ‘pre-domestic’ politics. In any case, Ostpolitik itself signified a turnaround in West-German domestic politics, which made a peaceful foreign policy toward Eastern Germany possible to be born.
Chapter Summaries
GDR and FRG – Two states, one domestic factor: The essay places German division and West German integration in historical context before examining Brandt’s Ostpolitik and its implications for relations between the two German states.
Glasnost and perestroika – Two reforms, one domestic fracture: This section discusses Gorbachev’s reforms, resistance within the communist movement and changes in the Soviet bloc.
Two domestic factors, one theoretical approach: The author interprets German rapprochement and Soviet reforms through constructivist perspectives, considers realist arguments and discusses United States influence.
Conclusion: The essay revisits the difficulty of distinguishing domestic from foreign policy and reflects on the significance of domestic change for international developments.
Keywords
Cold War, domestic factors, Ostpolitik, German reunification, glasnost, perestroika, Soviet Union, West Germany, East Germany, social constructivism, realism, state identity, international relations
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this essay about?
It examines the role domestic political developments may have played in ending the Cold War.
What are its central themes?
Its main themes are German rapprochement, Soviet reform, state identity and international relations theory.
What is the primary research question?
The essay asks what role, if any, domestic factors played in ending the Cold War.
What method does the author use?
The author interprets historical and social developments using international relations scholarship, primarily a social constructivist approach, while also considering neorealist perspectives.
What does the main discussion cover?
It traces developments in the two German states and the Soviet Union, then examines them using theoretical arguments about identity, interests and international change.
Which keywords characterise the work?
Key terms include domestic factors, Ostpolitik, glasnost, perestroika, social constructivism and state identity.
How does the essay examine Ostpolitik?
It considers Brandt’s policy of rapprochement with East Germany as both a change in West German domestic identity and a development in relations between states.
How are Gorbachev’s reforms addressed?
The essay discusses glasnost and perestroika as changes to Soviet political and social structures and considers their relationship to developments across the Soviet bloc.
Does the author consider the United States?
Yes. The discussion considers United States foreign policy and exchanges with the Soviet Union alongside German and Soviet domestic factors.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Alexander Tutt (Autor:in), 2012, What role did domestic factors play in ending the Cold War?, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/275408
