Dealing with the Devil: East Germany, Détente, and Ostpolitik, 1969-1973

Dealing with the Devil examines the complex negotiations between East Germany and West Germany during a pivotal period of Cold War détente. The book focuses on Chancellor Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik initiative and the behind-the-scenes diplomatic maneuvers between 1969 and 1973. Drawing from extensive archival research and previously classified documents, M.E. Sarotte reconstructs the strategic calculations and political pressures that shaped interactions between the two German states. The narrative tracks multiple parallel diplomatic channels, including official state negotiations and secret backroom discussions. The book analyzes the roles of key figures like Willy Brandt, Erich Honecker, and their respective advisers as they attempted to navigate competing domestic and international demands. Special attention is paid to the influence of Soviet and American interests on German-German relations during this period. This work makes an important contribution to understanding how pragmatic engagement with adversaries can yield diplomatic breakthroughs, while highlighting the moral tensions inherent in negotiating with authoritarian regimes. The implications for modern diplomacy and conflict resolution emerge organically from the historical analysis.

Based on available reviews, readers value the book's extensive use of newly released archival documents from multiple countries and its analysis of East German leader Erich Honecker's tactics during the détente period. Several academic reviewers noted the book provides concrete evidence about how East German leaders tried to undermine Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik. Readers appreciated: - Clear explanation of complex diplomatic negotiations - Use of multi-archival sources in German and English - Focus on lesser-known East German perspective Criticisms included: - Limited coverage of economic aspects - Some sections become too detailed for general readers - High price of hardcover edition Available Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (13 ratings) Google Books: No rating (insufficient reviews) Amazon: 5/5 (2 reviews) The book received multiple positive reviews in academic journals, though its readership appears limited primarily to scholars and researchers focused on Cold War diplomacy and German history.

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Helsinki 1975 and the Transformation of Europe by Daniel C. Thomas The text explores how the Helsinki Accords influenced East-West relations and human rights in Eastern Europe during the détente era.

The Soviet Union and the Politics of Nuclear Weapons in Europe by Jonathan Haslam This analysis of Soviet nuclear policy provides context for the strategic decisions that influenced German-Soviet relations during the Cold War.

Ostpolitik, 1969–1974: European and Global Responses by Carole Fink and Bernd Schaefer The work examines Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik through multiple international perspectives and newly released archival materials.

🔹 M. E. Sarotte conducted extensive research in newly opened East German archives after German reunification, uncovering previously classified documents that revealed secret negotiations between East and West Germany. 🔹 The book's title "Dealing with the Devil" comes from West German Chancellor Willy Brandt's political opponents, who accused him of making dangerous compromises with Communist East Germany during his Ostpolitik initiative. 🔹 The author discovered that East German leader Erich Honecker initially opposed many of the diplomatic developments between East and West Germany, despite publicly supporting them later. 🔹 The negotiations described in the book led to the Basic Treaty of 1972, which allowed both German states to join the United Nations and marked the first time West Germany formally acknowledged East Germany's existence. 🔹 Sarotte is a prize-winning historian who teaches at Johns Hopkins University and has served as a White House Fellow and a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton.