THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TREATY ON THE BASIS OF RELATIONS BETWEEN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY AND THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC, 1973-1980

The 1972 Basic Treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) for the first time provided a framework for mutual interstate representation and laid the foundation for expanded bilateral cooperation between the two German states. Incentives for a positive development of the relationship were perceived by both leaderships and gave birth to a higher level of confidence in the 1970's. West German governments after 1972 did not call into question the governing authority of the GDR elite on East German soil, unlike in earlier years, and Bonn abstained from the use of outright economic or diplomatic pressure in retaliation for objectionable East German practices. International realities as well as economic necessity also induced East Berlin to show some flexibility in permitting new inner-German contacts, such as expanded West German travel into East Germany. At the same time, the ruling Socialist Unity Party (SED) continued its attempts to foster a separate GDR national consciousness and lauded the East German alliance with the Soviet Union. Yet domestic instability in East European countries, especially Polish worker unrest in 1980, compelled Moscow and East Berlin to sharply curb East-West German travel. The single most important conclusion to be drawn from this study is that the truly decisive West German setbacks in relations with the German partner did not emanate chiefly from bilateral disputes. Although traditional status questions, such as the SED demand for Bonn's recognition of a separate GDR nation, did not disappear from the inner-German agenda, they seldom impeded agreement in areas of practical cooperation. Rather, it was the issue of Berlin, largely a matter for resolution by the four former occupation powers, in addition to the internal challenges posed by the Polish labor union "Solidarity" that obstructed the attainment of further FRG-GDR treaties. The special nature of inner-German relations was nonetheless confirmed in 1983 and 1984 by notable successes in joint participation even in the face of a Soviet-American consultative breakdown.