The Stalin Note proposes a united but neutral Germany
A diplomatic letter issued by the Soviet Union on 10 March 1952 floated the idea of establishing a unified German nation outside the two power blocs then cutting Europe in half. It was rejected by the Western powers, who saw it as nothing more than a ruse to undermine current plans to establish a Western European defence pact. The resulting East-West correspondence led historians to speak of the Stalin notes.
By 1952, the two German states were both closely integrated into the opposing power blocs of the Cold War, so that reunification was difficult to imagine. West German policy makers calculated that the DDR leadership doubted their ability to sell socialism to a united Germany and thus prioritized the maintenance of a separate Communist state. Adenauer believed that Stalin had launched the initiative in order to blame the West for the ongoing division. Today, the majority of historians support this assessment, but it is interesting that a handful of academics still speak of a missed opportunity for German reunification.
About the Deutschlandmuseum
An immersive and innovative experience museum about 2000 years of German history
The whole year at a glance
