European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 1, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Milk my two become one continued from Page 3 diplomacy. The United states fighting communists in Korea was in no mood to Trust communists in Moscow. . Uneasiness deepened after the soviets tested a Hydrogen bomb and violently suppressed a june 17 citizens revolt in East German cities. Quot Churchill a illness american scepticism and Adenauer a mistrust prevented the soviet Union from being invited to negotiations on Germany a Brandt wrote. A serious analysts have come to the conclusion that a unique Opportunity was lost  unification seemed possible again in 1955, when the allies including the soviets withdrew from another divided country a Austria which pledged to remain Neutral. Many germans saw the austrian treaty As a Model for what they could achieve but the timing was bad. West Germany also received most rights of a Sovereign state in 1955. Its admission to nato that year prompted the soviets to declare unification Hopes dead and to found the Warsaw pact making East Germany a member. West Germany got a Consolation prize in 1957 a the Saarland whose citizens voted Down a French plan to turn the tiny Region into a a european  by that time a number of East germans far exceeding the Saarland a population already had escaped to the West through Berlin still an Allied occupied City with no barriers like those Between East and West Germany. On june 15,1961, East Germany a Walter Ulbricht told reporters that a no one intends to build a Wall to Stop the defections which by then totalled 2.8 million a one sixth of East Germany a population. But in the pre Dawn hours of aug. 13, East Germany began erecting barbed wire fences and other barriers that eventually became the Berlin Wall. The Western allies first thought it might be a prelude to the soviets cutting off the Berlin Access routes again or something worse. In their confusion they complained but did not resist. A it should be remembered that for three whole Days nothing was done which might have prompted the russians to reconsider their decisions a wrote Brandt then berlins mayor. A Many people having recovered from their initial Shock began to question their attitudes toward German reunification a policy whose Validity had never been  president John Kennedy so Rich bin Ein Berliner speech reassured West berliners in 1963 that . Support for them was unflinching. But the Wall had become an institution by then. Reunification seemed More unlikely than Ever. Deprived of easy Contact the German Peoples began to grow apart. As a reflection of this estrangement the 1966 West German Federal election gave Brandts social democrats a share of Power for the first time. Their a most politic a a policy designed to establish harmonious ties with communist countries produced diplomatic relations with Romania in 1967. This ended the Hallstein doctrine a 1950s policy Banning West German relations with any nation except the soviet Union that recognized East Germany. The social democrats picked up More seats in parliament in the 1969 election and Brandt became Chancellor of a coalition government. In 1970, West Germany normalized relations with the soviet Union and effectively dropped claims to former German territory under polish control by signing a treaty with Poland. The Germany established relations in 1972, although they stopped Short of full recognition. Brandt won re election in 1972. Many West germans bom after 1949 had reached voting age by then. The nation had begun thinking of itself As a distinct entity. A although unification was ranked by West germans throughout the 1950s As either the a most important problem or at least one of the major problems facing the Federal Republic by 1976 less than 5 percent of the adult population held either View a . Political scientist David p. Conradt wrote in his Book a the German  # the door to unification began to open again in 1980 with the founding of Poland a Solidarity labor Union. Solidarity a Short lived initial incarnation marked the first time that the communists had granted legitimacy to a political voice other than their own. Mikhail s. Gorbachev a Rise to Power in Moscow in 1985 heralded the gradual end of soviet attempts to maintain a balance of terror with the West. The 1987 .-soviet medium Range missile treaty scheduled the destruction of a whole class of missiles Many of which were on German soil. In 1989, the soviets no longer cared to finance the Effort to keep client governments in Power. Afterwards a Rush of events led the Germany to the Brink of unification. Poles and hungarians forced their leaders to share authority with non communists. Hungary opened its Borders with Austria. Tens of thousands of East germans began using Hungary and West German embassies in Prague and Warsaw As escape routes to the West. Million addressing by David Tarrant Brussels Bureau the talks that produced the 2-plus-4 agreement on German reunification focused attention on the worries about the Security role of a single powerful Germany. Among the treaty a terms Are those specifying that until soviet troops leave in 1994, Germany will not be allowed to Send into Eastern Germany any troops that Are part of natos integrated military Structure. Only German territorial defense units not part of the nato command will be stationed there. After the soviet troops leave German troops under nato command can be deployed in Eastern Germany but without vehicles capable of delivering nuclear biological or chemical weapons. Foreign troops equipment or delivery vehicles cannot be stationed or deployed in Eastern Germany. It is this Section of the treaty hammered out just hours before it was signed by the world War ii allies and the two Germany on sept. 12, that is meant to reassure the soviets who were nagged by doubts Over a new Germany a strategic role and who had wanted Germany to become Neutral. But the limits built into the treaty raise questions about whether they will keep Germany divided psychologically if not physically. Hans Friedrich von Ploetz West Germany a ambassador to nato rejects that notion. A basically Germany is not subdivided into different zones of Security. Germany in its totality is a member of nato As of oct. 3,�?� von Ploetz said. He referred to articles 5 and 6 of the North Atlantic treaty which state that an armed attack against any part of the territory of one member of the Alliance is considered an attack against All members. A and when you look at the Way other nato allies have structured their membership with nato you will find that you have All lands of arrangements a he said pointing out that there Are no foreign troops permanently stationed in Denmark or Norway. The treaty includes a commitment by Germany to peace and it renounces the production and Possession of nuclear weapons. Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii has said the treaty addresses the fear of a resurgence in Germany a historic tendency toward militarism. A there Are widespread concerns that the new country May do damage to the Security of the soviet Union and of Europe a Baker said. A i believe that we have received All the necessary  who stayed Home took to the streets to demand reforms thereby spoiling the fireworks and parades marking East Germany a 40th anniversary last october. At the same time Gorbachev said the soviets would not intervene in East German political developments. East German Leader Erich Honecker who said in Early 1989 that the Wall would last for a Century resigned. His successor abolished travel restrictions on the evening of nov. 9. East germans immediately exploded through the Borders. Prominent germans mentioned unification immediately. The rest of the world was sceptical. The unification movement gained momentum in March with the election of a Christian democratic government in East Germany. The soviets dropped their objections to a United Germany a membership m nato. West Ger Marty promised again it would not claim any former German territory in Poland. East Germany removed Border patrols restored five old East German states and negotiated a unification treaty with West Germany. At last Brandt is seeing a that which belongs together come together.the worries All along Western europeans have seen nato As a vehicle to restrict the Power of a United Germany. A the very simple fact that we sit Down together and define our defense needs and on that basis have an integrated military is considered very stabilizing. Its total transparency a von Ploetz said. Soon after the communist governments in Eastern Europe crumbled some members of the Warsaw pact began to see that nato could help satisfy their concerns about Germany. A i think the very fact that the soviet Union was ready to agree to this happening and that countries like Poland and Czechoslovakia came on Early to see that As the Only desirable solution tells you something about the function of nato in this changed environment. It is a Factor of stability without being aggressive against anybody a said the West German envoy to ultimately Germany itself saw in nato a Structure to help it realize its own Long term goals. As outlined by von Ploetz these goals include preventing War and creating the Best possible conditions for everybody to live together. A we do not think the traditional nation state is the framework where we can achieve these goals in the Best Way a he said. Instead Germany has agreed to act collectively not Only within institutions like nato but also within the 12-nation european Community whose goal is full economic Union by 1993. A the More you cooperate the More you Interlink vital it rests then the More stable the Structure becomes. And what used to be foreign policy becomes step by step internal polity. And War As an option becomes impossible von Ploetz said. Still there Are Many in Europe and the United states who wonder whether popular support within Germany for nato will remain Strong. Or will the lessening of East West tensions and the diminishing of the soviet threat leave the German people with less of an appetite for a military Alliance von Ploetz does no to think so. A in those countries where nato was mainly considered a collective action to a military threat More work has to be done than in countries like Germany where we always considered nato much More than just a military Alliance. We consider it an association of Western democracies which basically pursued political goals together. A therefore i done to think we will have a great credibility Gap in Germany in  Page 4 the stars and stripes special report