<P> West Germany's relations with East Germany posed particularly difficult questions . Though anxious to relieve serious hardships for divided families and to reduce friction, West Germany under Brandt's Ostpolitik was intent on holding to its concept of "two German states in one German nation ." Relations gradually improved . In the early 1970s, the Ostpolitik led to a form of mutual recognition between East and West Germany . The Treaty of Moscow (August 1970), the Treaty of Warsaw (December 1970), the Four Power Agreement on Berlin (September 1971), the Transit Agreement (May 1972), and the Basic Treaty (December 1972) helped to normalise relations between East and West Germany and led to both states joining the United Nations, in September 1973 . The two German states exchanged permanent representatives in 1974, and, in 1987, East German head of state Erich Honecker paid an official visit to West Germany . </P> <P> International plans for the unification of Germany were made during the early years following the establishment of the two states, but to no avail . In March 1952, the Soviet government proposed the Stalin Note to hold elections for a united German assembly while making the proposed united Germany a neutral state, i.e. a neutral state approved by the people, similar to the Austrians' approval of a neutral Austria . The Western Allied governments refused this initiative, while continuing West Germany's integration into the Western alliance system . The issue was raised again during the Foreign Ministers' Conference in Berlin in January--February 1954, but the western powers refused to make Germany neutral . Following Bonn's adherence to NATO on 9 May 1955, such initiatives were abandoned by both sides . </P> <P> During the summer of 1989, rapid changes took place in East Germany, which ultimately led to German reunification . Widespread discontent boiled over, following accusations of large scale vote - rigging during the local elections of May 1989 . Growing numbers of East Germans emigrated to West Germany via Hungary after the Hungarians decided not to use force to stop them . Thousands of East Germans also tried to reach the West by staging sit - ins at West German diplomatic facilities in other East European capitals . The exodus generated demands within East Germany for political change, and mass demonstrations (Monday demonstrations) with eventually hundreds of thousands of people in several cities--particularly in Leipzig--continued to grow . On 7 October, the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev visited Berlin to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of East Germany and urged the East German leadership to pursue reform, without success . The movement of civil resistance against the East German regime--both the emigration and the demonstrations--continued unabated . </P> <P> On 18 October, Erich Honecker was forced to resign as head of the SED and as head of state and was replaced by Egon Krenz . But the exodus continued unabated, and pressure for political reform mounted . On 4 November, a demonstration in East Berlin drew as many as 1 million East Germans . Finally, on 9 November 1989, the Berlin Wall was opened, and East Germans were allowed to travel freely . Thousands poured through the wall into the western sectors of Berlin, and on 12 November, East Germany began dismantling it . </P>

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