ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the development of Soviet-West German relations since the fall of the Schmidt government from the point of view of both countries, highlighting the centrality of inter-German ties for both nations. Since Michael Sodaro has discussed the development of United States (US)-Soviet ties, the focus will be on the Soviet, West German and East German sides, although the US dimension is a key to comprehending the full impact of these ties. When Helmut Kohl became Chancellor, against the background of increasing questioning of US policy on the part of some Social Democratic Party groups, he went out of his way to stress the Christian Democratic Party’s traditional commitment to the Western alliance and to the US. The state of Soviet-West German and inter-German relations since the accession of the Kohl government provides examples of continuity and change, with significant implications for East-West relations for the rest of the 1980’s.
