Unification of Germany in 1990

Abstract

Unification of East and West Germany was achieved peacefully in 1990. Agreements on international problems of the eastern boundary, military alliances, size of military forces, and foreign troops were codified in a treaty signed on 12 September by the four post-World War II occupying powers and the two Germanies. Internal problems of unification were addressed by treaties between the two Germanies on 18 May and 31 August. These dealt with state boundaries, the capital, environmental pollution and costs, and a host of economic, political, social, and judicial factors. United on 3 October, the new Germany promises to play a significant role in international affairs. Anew Germany came into existence on 3 October 1990 (Fig. 1). This Germany had not existed previously, at least not in these boundaries with this population, society, economy, government, and international ties. With an area of 357,043 square kilometers, it is two-thirds the size of the Germany of 1871. It is much smaller than France but slightly larger than the United Kingdom or Italy. It has a population of 78 million, compared with 56-57 million for each of these other countries. It also has a stronger economy than any other country in the European Community. In a central position in Europe between east and west and north and south, it has more international boundaries than any other country in Europe: land boundaries are with France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Switzerland. The full geographical effects of unification will not be apparent until some time in the future. The economic geography of the new Germany cannot now be written adequately. Many enterprises in East Germany are so outmoded that their production is being sharply reduced or closed altogether. But if massive investments are made in state-of-the-art facilities, new factories in East Germany could become the most competitive not only in Germany but also in Europe. The fear in East Germany is of current unemployment; the hope is for massive investment and improved competitiveness. This article deals with the process of unification in 1990 and with the problems involved. THE DECISION TO UNITE The tide of political change in east-central and eastern Europe finally reached East Germany in summer 1989. Breathtaking events followed in * I thank Professor Eckart Ehlers of Bonn University for providing materials and maps. * DR. HARRIS is the Samuel N. Harper distinguished service professor emeritus of geography at the University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637. This article marks the fiftieth anniversary of his first publication in this journal in the January 1941 issue. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.177 on Sat, 19 Nov 2016 04:30:52 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms