West Germany and Namibia's path to independence, 1969-1990: foreign policy and rivalry with East Germany

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dc.contributor.advisorAdhikari, Mohameden_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorSaunders, Christopheren_ZA
dc.contributor.authorKern, Thorstenen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-06-06T09:47:20Z
dc.date.available2017-06-06T09:47:20Z
dc.date.issued2016en_ZA
dc.description.abstractThis thesis examines West Germany's relationship with Namibia between 1969 and 1990. It investigates West German foreign policy towards Namibia, at the height of the Namibian liberation struggle, against the backdrop of East and West German rivalry. It brings to light that the post-war division of Germany into two separate states significantly impacted both German states' policies towards Namibia. The Federal Republic of Germany's (FRG) changing approach towards the German Democratic Republic (GDR) is analysed in relation to the Federal Republic's shifting attitude towards the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), Namibia's leading national liberation movement. It shows that the political dynamic that drove the normalisation of relations between East and West Germany played a key role in West Germany's move towards supporting SWAPO in the mid-to-late 1970. Furthermore, this thesis demonstrates that the Federal Republic's political landscape was dominated by political division over the issue of SWAPO's role in Namibia's future. This dissertation therefore examines the diverging views among political parties and its wider effects on shaping West Germany's policy towards Namibia. It calls to attention that political discord led to attempts by political factions to influence events in Namibia, independent of the Federal Government, through alternative instruments of foreign policy. Particular attention is also paid to the ideological underpinnings that promoted or hindered interactions and co-operation between East and West Germany in Namibia, on the one hand, and the two German states and SWAPO on the other. It reveals that West Germany's attitude towards SWAPO cannot be separated from the wider realities of the Cold War. In particular, it shows that the normalization of relations between West Germany and SWAPO can only be fully understood against the backdrop of intra-German rivalry.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationKern, T. (2016). <i>West Germany and Namibia's path to independence, 1969-1990: foreign policy and rivalry with East Germany</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24509en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationKern, Thorsten. <i>"West Germany and Namibia's path to independence, 1969-1990: foreign policy and rivalry with East Germany."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24509en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationKern, T. 2016. West Germany and Namibia's path to independence, 1969-1990: foreign policy and rivalry with East Germany. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Kern, Thorsten AB - This thesis examines West Germany's relationship with Namibia between 1969 and 1990. It investigates West German foreign policy towards Namibia, at the height of the Namibian liberation struggle, against the backdrop of East and West German rivalry. It brings to light that the post-war division of Germany into two separate states significantly impacted both German states' policies towards Namibia. The Federal Republic of Germany's (FRG) changing approach towards the German Democratic Republic (GDR) is analysed in relation to the Federal Republic's shifting attitude towards the South West Africa People's Organisation (SWAPO), Namibia's leading national liberation movement. It shows that the political dynamic that drove the normalisation of relations between East and West Germany played a key role in West Germany's move towards supporting SWAPO in the mid-to-late 1970. Furthermore, this thesis demonstrates that the Federal Republic's political landscape was dominated by political division over the issue of SWAPO's role in Namibia's future. This dissertation therefore examines the diverging views among political parties and its wider effects on shaping West Germany's policy towards Namibia. It calls to attention that political discord led to attempts by political factions to influence events in Namibia, independent of the Federal Government, through alternative instruments of foreign policy. Particular attention is also paid to the ideological underpinnings that promoted or hindered interactions and co-operation between East and West Germany in Namibia, on the one hand, and the two German states and SWAPO on the other. It reveals that West Germany's attitude towards SWAPO cannot be separated from the wider realities of the Cold War. In particular, it shows that the normalization of relations between West Germany and SWAPO can only be fully understood against the backdrop of intra-German rivalry. DA - 2016 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2016 T1 - West Germany and Namibia's path to independence, 1969-1990: foreign policy and rivalry with East Germany TI - West Germany and Namibia's path to independence, 1969-1990: foreign policy and rivalry with East Germany UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24509 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/24509
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationKern T. West Germany and Namibia's path to independence, 1969-1990: foreign policy and rivalry with East Germany. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Historical Studies, 2016 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24509en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Historical Studiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanitiesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherHistoryen_ZA
dc.titleWest Germany and Namibia's path to independence, 1969-1990: foreign policy and rivalry with East Germanyen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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