The fall of the Wall reopened the "German question" that had haunted Europe for a century. Within a year Germany was reunified — and a continent that had been split in two began, instead, to integrate.
Reunification
After the Wall fell, popular pressure for unity was overwhelming. March 1990 elections in East Germany backed reunification under West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, and the GDR was absorbed into the Federal Republic. It happened with remarkable speed.
The Two Plus Four Treaty (1990)
Reunification needed the consent of the four post-war occupying powers (the USA, UK, France and USSR) plus the two Germanys. The Two Plus Four Treaty granted it. But the negotiations revealed deep anxiety about a strong, unified Germany — memories of two world wars meant Britain, France and the USSR all sought reassurance, a striking continuity with the fears of 1945.
A new Europe
- The end of the blocs — the Warsaw Pact dissolved, and in 1991 the USSR itself dissolved, ending the Cold War.
- From division to integration — the continent shifted from a bipolar standoff toward unity. The Maastricht Treaty (1992) created the European Union, and a reunified Germany became its central power.
Let's trace the transformation from a divided to an integrating Europe.
| Step | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Fall of the Berlin Wall | 1989 | Reopens the German question |
| Two Plus Four Treaty; reunification | 1990 | Unified Germany; occupying powers' consent |
| Dissolution of the Warsaw Pact and USSR | 1991 | End of the Cold War and the bipolar order |
| Maastricht Treaty; the EU | 1992 | Shift from division to integration |
Discuss: how was the "German question" of 1945 ultimately answered differently in 1990 — and why did the old fear persist even so?
Q1. What was the Two Plus Four Treaty, and which powers were involved?
Q2. Explain why some governments were concerned about the reunification of Germany.
Q3. Evaluate the significance of German reunification for the reshaping of Europe after the Cold War.