German Reunification

>1991 is no longer covered by the 25-year rule
Should Germany have been allowed reunification?
>A poll of four countries in January 1990 found that a majority of surveyed Americans supported reunification, while British and Poles were more divided. 69% of Poles and 50% of French and British stated that they worried about a reunified Germany becoming "the dominant power in Europe". Those surveyed stated several concerns, including Germany again attempting to expand its territory, a revival of Nazism, and the German economy becoming too powerful. While British, French and Americans favored Germany remaining a member of NATO, a majority of Poles supported neutrality for the reunified nation.

>Before the fall of the Berlin Wall, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher told Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev that neither the United Kingdom nor Western Europe wanted the reunification of Germany. Thatcher also clarified that she wanted the Soviet leader to do what he could to stop it, telling Gorbachev "We do not want a united Germany".

>Although she welcomed East German democracy, Thatcher worried that a rapid reunification might weaken Gorbachev, and favoured Soviet troops staying in East Germany as long as possible to act as a counterweight to a united Germany.

>Thatcher, who carried in her handbag a map of Germany's 1937 borders to show others the "German problem", feared that its "national character", size and central location in Europe would cause the nation to be a "destabilizing rather than a stabilizing force in Europe".

>The pace of events surprised the French, whose Foreign Ministry had concluded in October 1989 that reunification "does not appear realistic at this moment". A representative of French President François Mitterrand reportedly told an aide to Gorbachev, "France by no means wants German reunification, although it realises that in the end it is inevitable."

>Should Germany have been allowed reunification?
Yes. France fucked themself with the Euro though.

>and the German economy becoming too powerful

translation: waahhh we can't compete on the world stage with our economically-stiffling social democracies and gibs germany's better at managing this shit than us ;;;;(((

>economically-stiffling social democracies
Germany is one of the most social democratic countries in the world, more so than the US, UK, or France certainly.

honestly surprised they havent started a conflict in 25+ years

but thats what getting cucked into an eternal guilt trip will do

>Thatcher, who carried in her handbag a map of Germany's 1937 borders to show others the "German problem", feared that its "national character", size and central location in Europe would cause the nation to be a "destabilizing rather than a stabilizing force in Europe".
Most perfidious thing I've read all week

Well she was right

Once again the English seeing clearly what the Continentals miss

>allowed

No, Thatcher was wrong. The British are the problem, not the Germans.

>its "national character"
What did she mean by this? Post WW2 Germany had put a lid on nationalism and a destabilized Europe would have hurt their economic prospects.