Tuesday, October 12, 2004
- US-EU RELATIONS
Lecturer: R. Janssens
End of the Cold War: Unification of Germany & NATO Expansion (*). Group divided into six countries: Federal Republic of Germany (Helmut Kohl - Bernadette), Democratic Republic of Germany (Egon Krenz - Sabrina), United States (George H.W. Bush - Diederik), United Kingdom (Margaret Thatcher - Theresa), USSR (Mikhail Gorbachev - Diana), and France (Francois Mitterrand - Jaime.)
. Task. November 1989: Will the re-unification of Germany take place? Each country defends its own position in terms of national interests. Each participant has to define: its own "optimum scenario", what it is willing to give away, and what it is not prepared to surrender.
. Tips. Think in terms of balance of power, economics, and culture. Think about the repercussions of your statements. During negotiations, start with the optimal scenario -- and do not immediately reveal what you will eventually give away. Do not make too blunt opening statements. Keep your options intact.
Prof. Janssens. Three elements were missing. No.1: The role of public opinion. This was especially important in West Germany. Hemult Kohl's remarks about the right to self-determination created a very emotional climate. Events were not controled by politicians.
No. 2: The economy, a decisive factor. Kohl had a key role to play thanks to the size and the strength of the German economy. No. 3: The issue of borders. There was some concern that Gdansk might become part of Germany again (Kohl was making noises about German-speaking peoples in general.)
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(*) Based on Philip Zelikow & Condoleeza Rice. Germany Unified and Europe Transformed: A Study in Statecraft. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1995, 4-38 & 102-148.
Lecturer: R. Janssens
End of the Cold War: Unification of Germany & NATO Expansion (*). Group divided into six countries: Federal Republic of Germany (Helmut Kohl - Bernadette), Democratic Republic of Germany (Egon Krenz - Sabrina), United States (George H.W. Bush - Diederik), United Kingdom (Margaret Thatcher - Theresa), USSR (Mikhail Gorbachev - Diana), and France (Francois Mitterrand - Jaime.)
. Task. November 1989: Will the re-unification of Germany take place? Each country defends its own position in terms of national interests. Each participant has to define: its own "optimum scenario", what it is willing to give away, and what it is not prepared to surrender.
. Tips. Think in terms of balance of power, economics, and culture. Think about the repercussions of your statements. During negotiations, start with the optimal scenario -- and do not immediately reveal what you will eventually give away. Do not make too blunt opening statements. Keep your options intact.
Prof. Janssens. Three elements were missing. No.1: The role of public opinion. This was especially important in West Germany. Hemult Kohl's remarks about the right to self-determination created a very emotional climate. Events were not controled by politicians.
No. 2: The economy, a decisive factor. Kohl had a key role to play thanks to the size and the strength of the German economy. No. 3: The issue of borders. There was some concern that Gdansk might become part of Germany again (Kohl was making noises about German-speaking peoples in general.)
___________
(*) Based on Philip Zelikow & Condoleeza Rice. Germany Unified and Europe Transformed: A Study in Statecraft. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1995, 4-38 & 102-148.
# posted by Agustin @ 6:24 PM 
