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GERMANYANDRUSSIA:
The StrangeLove-Hate Relationship
T
he prospect of growing coopera–
tion bctwcen West Germany
and thc Soviet Union takes on
ominous overtones to anyone with a
sense of history.
For nearly 1000 years, relations bc–
tween Teuton (German) and Slav (Rus–
sian) have played an imponant role in
shaping the history of Europe. These rc–
lations have gcnera lly followed a cy–
clical pa tte rn- the two great peoplcs
a lternately working toge ther
to
thci r
mutual advantagc. or fighting to thc
dealh in horrendous wa rs.
A West German newspaper observed
a few years ago that Germany and Rus–
sia are "two
pcople~
under 1he sway of
mutual anxiety and admira tion.'' An–
other wrote of 1he strange " psychologi–
cal affinity bctween Russia and
Germany tha t has developed through
centuries of li ving as neighbors.' ' Thc
emigré Russian historian Víctor Frank
observed 1hat ' 'no other Europeans
have been so hated by the Russians and
none so loved" as the Germans.
A g limpse at thc past 100 years of
Russo-German history will illustra te
this curi ous lovc-hate relationship and
its powerful impact on wo rld affairs.
In 1871 the brilliant Prussian states–
man Otto von Bismarck uni1ed thc
North German Confederation wi th the
southern German states intO a single
German Reich unde r Prussian lead–
ers hip. King Wilhe lm 1 of Pruss ia be–
carne the Reich's first
kaiser
(emperor),
and Bismarck assumed the office of
Reich Chancellor. To safeguard the
eastem ftank of thc newly born empire.
Bismarck attempted to maintain an al–
liance with Russia and Austria so that
lhose nations would not form encircling
all iances with arch riva l France.
To this end, Bismarck formed thc
Three Emperors' League in 1872. Thc
league was composed of Germany. Rus–
sia and Austria. The pact relieved Bis–
marck's fear thal Russia might join
France in a two-front war against thc
Reich.
The Three Empero rs' League brokc
up, however, in 1878. The cause was Rus–
sia's and Auslria's confli cting ambitions
in the trouble-plagued Balkan Península.
But Bismarck had no intention of allow–
ing a hostile relationship to develop be-
18
BISMARCK:
"Aiways keep the fines
open to St. Petersburg."
tween his nation and Russia. His famous
cardina l rule was: "Always keep the lincs
open to St. Pctersburg." St. Peters burg
(now Leningrad) was the capital of Rus–
sia at that time.
Through Bismarck's efforts. a sccond
Three Emperors' League. again com–
posed of Germany, Russia and Austria.
was pul togethcr in 1881. But , as beforc.
ri val ries betwecn Russ ia and Austria led
to its collapse in 1887.
Bismarck hurried ly negotialed a sep–
arate treaty with Czar Alexander 111 in
1887. before Russia hada chance 10 re–
spond 10 overtures from France. This
so-called Rcinsurance Treaty between
Germany and Russia-the cornerstone
of Bismarck's foreign policy - again se–
cu red Germany's eas te rn ftank .
lt
also
permitted Germany to continue to grow
in military power and have a free hand
to deal with problems in the west.
In 1888. a new kaiser assumed the
throne in Germany-Wilhelm 11. Kaiser
Wilhelm forced Bismarck out of office
in 1890 and took Gcrmany's foreign af–
fairs into his own hands. He abandoned
the time- hono red Bismarckian policy o f
friendship with Russia. allowing the Re–
insurance Treaty to lapse. In 1894, Rus–
sia allied itself with France-the very
thing Bismarck had feared and sought
...
10
avoid. The eventual resuh: Germany
found itself in a two-front conflict with
Russia and Francc in World War
l.
On Sunday. April 16. 1922 - four
yea rs after the s igning of the Trcaty of
Brest-Litovsk. which ended the war be–
tween Germany and Russia- a
~tartled
Western world received ncarly
unbelievable news. Representativcs of
the German Weimar Republic and the
Redgling Bolshevik government of Le–
nin signcd on that day a diplomatic and
economic pact
al
the ltal ian Rivicra re–
sort of Rapallo near Genoa. Thc Ra–
pallo Pact opened full diplomatic
rela tions betwcen the two nations. The
two countries mutually renounced war
reparations and granted each othcr
preferentialtrade status.
The power balance in Europc had
shifted overnight. The pact also opencd
up to the Gcrman
Reichswehr
(army)
the opportunity to secretly design.
build. and test in Russia ne" ' ' capons
forbidden to German) b) thc humili–
a ting Treaty of Vcrsailles.
But another, and even more stunning.
about-face was soon to come.
On January 30. 1933. Adolf ll it ler be–
carne chance llor of Germanv. Al> Hitler
was consolidating his power: a pcriod of
strident anti-Bolshevism- and thcrefore
anti-Russianism- gripped Germany.
On August23. 1939. the azisabruptly
reversed their anti-Soviet policy. On that
day, Hitler's fo reign minister, Joachim von
Ribbentrop. secre tl y tlew to Moscow and
signed a nonaggression pact with Sta–
lin. The now-infamous pact guaranteed
Soviet nonintcrvention in Hitler's immi–
nent war in the West.
Hitler's eastern ftank was now sccure.
Russ ia had bcen neutralized. On Scp–
tember 1, 1939- one week after the sign–
ing of the pac t- Hitler invaded Poland.
Less than two years later- on Junc 22.
1941 - Hitler did another about-face and
invaded the Soviet Union. This aban–
donment of a policy of friendsh1p "ith
Russia proved disastrous. Two mtllion
German soldicrs dicd on the eastern
front. Many times more Soviet soldiers
and civilians pcrished in the ir "Grea t
Patriotic War" agains t Nazism.
lt
now appears. however. that time
can even heal wounds as deep as these.
-Keirh W Srump
The
PLAIN TRUTH December 1978