Alliance for Germany

Alliance for Germany. The Alliance for Germany was a conservative political coalition formed in the German Democratic Republic in early 1990 to contest the first and only free election to the Volkskammer. It was established with the support of the West German ruling party, the Christian Democratic Union, led by Helmut Kohl. The alliance campaigned overwhelmingly on a platform of rapid German reunification under Article 23 of the Basic Law, and its decisive victory in the March 1990 election provided the crucial mandate to dissolve the GDR and join the Federal Republic of Germany.

History

The alliance was officially founded on 5 February 1990 in West Berlin, during the final months of the Peaceful Revolution that ended the rule of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. Its creation was actively orchestrated by Helmut Kohl and his CDU, which sought a strong pro-unification partner in the East ahead of the critical 1990 East German general election. Key founding figures included Lothar de Maizière of the East German Christian Democratic Union and members of the nascent Democratic Awakening and German Social Union. The coalition's campaign was massively bolstered by resources and strategic support from West Germany, contrasting sharply with the underfunded efforts of rivals like the Party of Democratic Socialism and the Association of Free Democrats. Following its electoral triumph, the alliance formed a grand coalition government under Minister-President Lothar de Maizière, which negotiated the Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany and the State Treaty establishing an economic and monetary union. The alliance effectively dissolved upon the German reunification on 3 October 1990, with its member parties merging into their larger West German counterparts.

Member parties

The coalition consisted of three primary member parties, all of which were newly re-established or founded after the fall of the Berlin Wall. The largest component was the East German Christian Democratic Union, a former Bloc party that had shed its communist-aligned leadership. The second member was the German Social Union, a consciously Bavarian-oriented party modeled on the Christian Social Union in Bavaria. The third founding member was Democratic Awakening, a smaller group originating from the citizen movement scene, which briefly counted figures like Angela Merkel and Wolfgang Schnur among its members. Although not a formal member, the alliance was electorally supported by the German Forum Party, which was part of the subsequent governing coalition. Following reunification, the CDU-East and Democratic Awakening merged into the all-German Christian Democratic Union of Germany, while the DSU largely dissolved after failing to cross the five-percent threshold in the first all-German federal election.

Political positions

The alliance's central and overwhelmingly dominant political position was the swift achievement of German reunification through accession of the GDR to the Federal Republic of Germany via Article 23 of the Basic Law. This stood in direct opposition to the model of a new, jointly drafted constitution favored by the Round Table and groups like Alliance 90. Economically, it championed the rapid introduction of the Deutsche Mark and the adoption of the West German social market economy, as outlined in the State Treaty. In social policy, it adhered to principles of Christian democracy, emphasizing traditional family values and maintaining continuity with the social policies of the Helmut Kohl government. Its foreign policy aim was full integration into the European Communities and NATO, aligning completely with the positions of the Bonn government and distancing itself from any special relationship with the Soviet Union.

Electoral performance

The alliance contested only one national election, the 1990 East German general election on 18 March 1990. It achieved a decisive victory, winning 48.0% of the vote and securing 192 seats in the 400-seat Volkskammer. This result far exceeded pre-election polls and handed a clear mandate for rapid reunification negotiations. The East German Christian Democratic Union was the largest contributor within the alliance. The victory was particularly pronounced in rural areas and smaller towns, while urban centers like East Berlin and Leipzig showed stronger support for the Party of Democratic Socialism and Alliance 90. In the subsequent all-German 1990 German federal election, former alliance candidates ran primarily on the lists of the West German Christian Democratic Union of Germany, which won the election, while the DSU failed to achieve national representation.

Leadership

The formal chairman of the alliance was Lothar de Maizière, who also served as the last Minister-President of the GDR. De Maizière, a lawyer and musician, led the East German Christian Democratic Union and became the key negotiator for the GDR in the Two Plus Four Agreement. Other prominent leaders included Hans-Wilhelm Ebeling, the chairman of the German Social Union, and Wolfgang Schnur, the initial chairman of Democratic Awakening whose career ended shortly before the election due to revelations about his work as an Stasi informant. The campaign was heavily directed and supported by West German leaders, principally Helmut Kohl, whose rallies, such as a famous speech in Erfurt, drew enormous crowds, and Volker Rühe, who served as a key CDU strategist. Angela Merkel, then a member of Democratic Awakening and deputy spokesperson for the de Maizière government, rose to prominence through her involvement with the alliance.

Category:Defunct political party alliances in Germany Category:Political parties established in 1990 Category:Political parties disestablished in 1990 Category:Christian democratic parties in Germany Category:1990 in East Germany