GERMANY: Propaganda Boomerang

Chancellor Adenauer was out of town when the message came through: the East German parliament wanted to send a delegation to Bonn to discuss "peace and unity." Bundestag President Hermann Ehlers tried to phone Adenauer, but could not reach him. On his own, Ehlers sent back word that the East German delegation could come on over.

When Adenauer heard about it, he was hopping mad. Even the West German Socialists, who have long been demanding unification, said that the delegation's visit was just another Communist propaganda plot. But Ehlers' "mistake" turned out just fine for the West. West Germany's people were...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!