Download German Unification

Germany
The borders of Germany have changed
numerous times since it became a unified
country in the 1870’s.
During World War II, Germany expanded its
borders and conquered much of Western
Europe.
After the war, Germany was divided as punishment for
starting World War II. The original intention was to
eventually re-unite the country.
With the advent
of the Cold War,
the Soviet Union
created the
communist
“puppet state” of
East Germany,
called the
German
Democratic
Republic (GDR).
East Berlin
Life was quite different in East
and West Germany and in East
and West Berlin.
West Berlin
Trabant –
East
Germany’s
most
popular car.
Mercedes
Cars produced in the east and west
told the story.
VW Bug
With the fall of the Berlin
Wall in 1989, the
collapse of communist
East Germany was a
certainty.
There was now a push from both east and west to
re-unify Germany into one country. This occurred
quickly. October 3, 1990, the two countries
reunited.
With reunification, new problems arose. East Germany had been a
command (inefficient) economy. West Germany was capitalist. Profit was
the goal in the West.
West German factories
operated to make money.
Closing inefficient and polluting
East German factories would
cost thousands of jobs.
Reunification issues that created problems for both
East and West Germany after reunification.
West Germany
The West was going to have
to pay for reunification (prox
$40,000 per person.
There would be a mass
migration of East
Germans to the West
looking for jobs.
East Germans would work
for less than West Germans.
Not enough resources.
Raw materials would have
to be imported.
East Germany
Many factories were closed,
many thousands of jobs
were lost.
Women had to give up
access to free day care
in order to work.
The government no longer
guaranteed jobs.
The government no longer
offered free housing.
East German money was
worthless.
Now the question is, why would the West want to
reunify with the East?
The population of a
single Germany
would increase
some 25%.
The German “people” were
linked together in a single
country.
Families were reunited (separated
since 1945).
Potential for the future.
German Reunification Day,
10/4/04.
Germany today is
an economic
powerhouse. One
of the ten richest
countries in the
world.