German Perceptions of the United States at Unification
Abstract
This report analyzes data on East and West German attitudes toward the United States, NATO, and the American troop presence from a survey taken at the time of German unification in Oct 1990. The data suggest three sets of conclusions. First, East Germans have an ambivalent and frequently negative image of American society. The lack of any pronounced sympathy for the United States in the former GDR stands in contrast not only to West German views of the United States, but also to the tremendous sympathy that the United States enjoys elsewhere in formerly communist Eastern Europe. Second, whereas East Germans recognize the positive American role in the political and economic reconstruction of the Federal Republic, this does not translate into support for a future U.S. military presence in Germany or for the Atlantic Alliance. On such issues, East Germans hold views far more critical than West Germans. Whereas 3 in 4 (74%) West Germans preferred continued German participation in NATO, 2 in 3 (68%) East German respondents opted for neutrality. Similarly, an overwhelming majority of 8 in 10 (79%) East Germans favored a complete U.S. withdrawal, while West Germans were split between favoring a complete withdrawal (46%) and favoring a limited contingent remaining (41%). Third, the factors explaining East German skepticism and ambivalence toward the United States must also be sought in the fundamentally different relationships of the United States with these two parts of Germany. In the West, the American experience was enthusiastically embraced by a society that was learning democracy and actively seeking integration into a broader Western community. But East Germans were never allowed to participate in the positive experiences of integration and multilateral institutions in the West. It may take at least a decade for East Germans to make the transition to Western political values and culture. U.S. foreign policy must continue to support close German-American ties.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA253093
Entities
People
- Ronald D. Asmus
Organizations
- RAND Corporation