On November 23, 1989, Maltese Prime Minister Eddie Fenech Adami was the first head of government to cross to East Germany through the openings in the Berlin Wall. The same offer was made earlier to the South Korean President who refused to do so out of fear of upsetting the Soviets.
On that occasion, The Times of Malta reported the comments of the Prime Minister: “The opening of the Berlin Wall confirms that the times of division are over. The world should look forward to an era of more peace.”
Everything during that period echoed the possibility of an era of new-found freedom and peace – newspaper reports, news bulletins, music composed political speeches, fashion trends, and different positive projections for the future. As a child of the 1990s, optimism was undoubtedly in the air we breathed.
Thirty years removed from these events, the mood is best echoed in J.M.W. Turner’s unfinished poem paired with his famous painting of a slave ship: “Hope, fallacious Hope! Where is thy market now?”
The initial optimism could be forgiven. The Soviet Empire ended abruptly; it collapsed under the weight of ineffective leadership, unproductive economic stewardship and adherence to a morally bankrupt socialist ideology.
Mikhail Gorbachev’s well-meaning reforms could do very little to save a system which was rotten to the core and, in some aspects, unredeemable.
However, that optimism slowly faded away. Primarily, the Cold War provided some certainties; the ‘enemy’ was either in Moscow or in Washington, depending on where one stood. The non-aligned group was considered to be friendly towards Moscow; however, it was far too economically insignificant to make much of an impact.
The end of the Cold War brought about a tenser international order. Security threats no longer emanated from the capitals of global hegemons but, instead, from the most unlikely locations – from remote areas where terrorist cells thrive, in international human trafficking circuits, and by long-held communal resentments kept in check by the fear of the superpowers.
It is a time to ask that age-old question; the West won the war, but can we win – or even handle – peace?
Margaret MacMillan from the University of Oxford rightly observed that: “Most people assumed that as the remaining superpower, the United States would surely become a benevolent hegemon… in fact, many of the old conflicts and tensions remained, frozen into place just under the surface of the Cold War.”
Nationalism was one such tension which was kept in check by the broader pressures of the international system. When this system collapsed, some of the most virulent forms of nationalism emerged. Yugoslavia erupted into genocidal violence which led to the emergence of six independent republics. While these republics are now finding their feet in the international system, the images emanating from Srebrenica, Mostar and Vukovar haunted a generation.
In Russia, the hopes of democratic reform were soon dashed. The process of privatisation created a new privileged class – an oligarchy – a rule of the few by the few. This proved to be fertile ground for the cultivation of a kleptocracy. The rise of Vladimir Putin exacerbated the situation. While Russia has not become a significant economic power, Putin has been adept at trying to manipulate the democratic process in various countries. This modus operandi constitutes a veritable security threat aimed at de-stabilising institutions.
Indirectly, the two hegemons also kept in check various lesser powers. While some wars, such as those in Korea, Vietnam and Afghanistan, were fought by proxy, other more serious conflicts were avoided. Without the restraint provided by the Cold War system, countries such as North Korea, Pakistan, Venezuela, Iran and Turkey are now pursuing their wayward agendas at the expense of regional stability and international cooperation.
In Germany, where the hopes of the Cold War world order were most manifest, the differences between East and West have not yet healed. Indeed, the disillusionment with the post-Cold War order can be seen in the various electoral results in state elections. Centrist parties have been underperforming at the expense of parties on the fringes. Alternative für Deutschland increased its popular support: 28 per cent in Saxony, 23 per cent in Thuringia and Brandenburg, and 21 per cent in Mecklenburg. Die Linke – a left-wing populist party and the direct descendent of the Marxist-Leninist Socialist Unity Party of Germany – emerged as the largest party in Thuringia with 31 per cent of the votes.
The question arises naturally: how is one to remember the events which took place 30 years ago?
There is no doubt that the end of communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall were positive developments. If Eastern Europe now enjoys the rights and freedoms we take for granted – freedom of expression, religious freedom, the right to private property and freedom of movement – it is all thanks to the visionary leadership which brought down the “evil empire”.
Similarly, these anniversaries are not a time for nostalgia – of asking ourselves how things could have been had the Cold War never ended. The Cold War tensions and the ever-present threat of all-out nuclear war were the cause of much fear and anxiety.
Nonetheless, the 30th anniversary is also time for sobering realism rather than overt optimism. It is a time to ask that age-old question; the West won the war, but can we win – or even handle – peace?
Peace is more of a responsibility than a political reality. In a multi-polar world, there is increased interdependence among nations to solve issues which unfold across borders such as terrorism, human trafficking and the illegal trade in arms.
Institutions such as the United Nations are often ineffective instruments lacking credibility and moral authority. While they are essential in bringing different points of view together, they are somewhat unsuccessful in finding a lasting solution. The leadership which brought the Cold War to a close is now sorely lacking. Perhaps we no longer believe in the values of freedom which were cherished for so long in the West.
While it is laudable to mark such anniversaries, misguided optimism can be dangerous. The events that took place 30 years ago remind us that, although much has been achieved, the new uncertain realities demand a renewed effort for dialogue, leadership and tough, unpopular decisions. The political class betrays that peace every time it falls short of the demands it places on us.
André DeBattista is an independent researcher in politics and international relations.