President Bush and Chancellor Kohl discuss Eastern Europe

The fall of 1989 was a turbulent one. A new reform-oriented government had been elected in Poland, new elections were scheduled in Hungary, and East Germany had a new leader, Egon Krenz, who was speaking openly about reforms in the GDR (German Democratic Republic, also known as East Germany). In this telephone conversation, U.S. President George H. W. Bush discusses the situation in Poland, Hungary, and East Germany with West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Of special note in this conversation is the attention placed by both Kohl and Bush on countering the image of West Germany (and its potential unification with East Germany) portrayed by the international press. Chancellor Kohl was also quick to point out that his support for both the European Community (EC) and NATO was strong and that he would not support a neutral stance of a future unified Germany.