Thatcher, Mitterrand and the EEC Strasbourg Council

This chapter explores Anglo-American views on the German question from late December 1989 until the spring of 1990. It shows how the Federal government's determination to press ahead with its version of German unity rapidly turned into a motive of Anglo- American controversy. While Whitehall denounced the risks of a hastened path towards unification, by mid-January 1990 the Bush administration backed Kohl's fast-track approach. Washington also endeavoured to reassure the Russians and its West European allies. Unable to influence American views, Thatcher initially turned to France, then she tried to delay unification with the Kremlin's help. Nonetheless, the British failed to work out an arrangement with either Paris or Moscow and London's initiatives to slow down unification were countered by the Bush administration. The US government pressed for a solution that would allow the two German states to play a role alongside the Four Powers in the unification process. In contrast, Whitehall tried to hold on to the remnants of Four Power sovereignty and only in the final stages of the negotiations supported US views.

In December 1989 Bonn's public calls for German unification had become a cause of serious concern in a number of European countries. These concerns had emerged first in early December at the NATO Brussels summit. On this occasion, the Italians and the British had expressed significant reservations about Kohl's ten points and Baker's four points.