iermany. aused international astonishment.
lermany.
N GERMANY the peace lovement has flowered. It broad-based, politically and -BIUSIYC in some rays even more powerful other similar novements in Europe. 1Cll It is out of all proporon to the level of class truggle in West Germany, relatively FREC! clans Why is this?
The rise of the peace novements In Western lumber general levelopments. These lude byt USA alacks led by the 1988S the colonial evolution, especially entra America This offensive has been :losely linked with a policy )f threatening the Soviet This massive explosion of anger Union, and with severe economic attacks on the working. class in Europe and the US.
In West Germany there are two factors to take in aCCOUHL. Firstv. It 1s crystal clear to everyone that a third world war Europe would mean the physical annihilation of the German people. This is because geographical location and cause a war gainst the Soviet could ony be won atomic WCaDOTS Only the United States could wage such a war and it would use the European theatre do Regardless of who won the German people would be wiped out. Germany would be uninhabitable for a long, long time.
This fact is destroying the illusion among working people that the country can be defended by SNCCES. So the peace movement has debate on how war can be prevented in the long-term from ever happening.
Proof The decision of NATO to move the US military command in Europe from Stuttgart SOCOT proof beyond doubt that those who claim to be the protectors' of the West German people don't even believe their SWIL propaganda.
The same goes for the NATO plans that call fo withdrawing NATO troops to the west of the river knine in une cvent ot a Soviet attack.
For these cynical politicians Germany between the Rhine and the Elbe, Alain Krivine (LCR)
Despite the unpopularity ot the viterand government, there substantial 112S OCCI contains per WAIGE of German HESCH population), is already a nuclear no-man's-land Any rejection NATO's blueprin means two fingers to US 218Tperialism. The decision to wage war would be made West Germany is CHOI allowed have nuclear weapons, or anv control ove OCCUPA tion troops and atomic weapons stationed on its soil The NATO plans go hand in hand with a new strong-arm policy towards the Soviet Union, which has big implications for relations WItn East Germany. Trade and credit IAI-THOOP NOAA ed. Gains made under the the CICHLC pone. 1970s such as the opening Colem doss between East and west. and the lessening of antiCommunist hysteria beine peut in danger:
Owes working class is apprehenWVC C ocLu uIof detente. It sees detente d atea vev alde gressive stance toward the Soviet Union which would make it "possible' to fight a war in Europe.
Detente was seen
very different ways by the ruling cas. and LITC workers. For the bosses it was a way or Wantan!g the utopian objective of a status quo between the different social systems The workers saw is as a road to stopping war through an understanding with the East.
The appearance of peace movement in East Germany is very important for developing alternative to the US and NATO war drive, and to the limitathe 'detente' SELOU policy.
especially in the The peace movement has spread like wildfire to thousands oI towns and cities. Half a million people demonstrated agaınst Reagan in June last year.
Christian Democrats (Germany' s YELSUI the Tories) showed that 49 per cent of the voters are worabout the missiles because they increase the risk of an atomic wal German soil"
Some 58 per cent of people are opposed to the siting of the medium-range missiles if the Americans sabotage the Geneva arms negotiations.
the unions and local elec-
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00,000 PEOPLE of all ages and political opi- ions poured into Bonn in October last year for rally against the stationing of US missiles in
In the first of two articles ANGELA KLEIN soks at the growing peace movement in West