“New Eastern Policy” of Willy Brandt and Bundeswehr in 1969–1974

Abstract

The article based on archival and published materials analyses the attitude of the members of the higher and lower structures of the Bundeswehr to the “new eastern policy” of Chancellor Willy Brandt and the influence of the latter on the development of the armed forces of West Germany in 1969–1974. It is demonstrated that privates and junior officers supported the foreign policy course of W. Brandt on detente in relations with the socialist bloc. At the same time it is shown that the high command of the Bundeswehr emphasized loyalty to the North Atlantic Alliance in their documents and used the principles of the “new eastern policy” to strengthen the positions of the Federal Republic of Germany in NATO.

Keywords

• federal republic of germany
• willy brandt
• détente
• new eastern policy
• bundeswehr
• nato
• student movement of 1968
• helmut schmidt
• georg leber