Telephone Call from President George H. W. Bush to Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany

Following World War II, Germany was divided into two countries, with West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) becoming integrated into Western Europe and East Germany (German Democratic Republic) falling behind the Iron Curtain, with the Soviet Union in control. After the historic and spontaneous dismantling of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, East and West Germany were on the verge of reuniting. The reactions in Europe and the Soviet Union were often contradictory and there were many challenges and problems along the path of that reunification. While at this moment reunification was only a possibility, West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl (and later chancellor of the reunited Germany) and U.S. President George H. W. Bush engaged in ongoing conversations about the situation in Germany. prior. 11 months after the Wall came down, on October 3, 1990, the two countries were officially reunited. In this telephone conversation, initiated by Bush, both men expressed a sense of relief, excitement, and mutual respect. This document points to the involvement and support of the United States in the unraveling of communism in Eastern Europe.