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Article Summary of "Brezhnev visits West Germany" by Dennis Sandole and Hugo van der Merwe
Citation:
Dennis Sandole and Hugo van der Merwe, "Brezhnev visits West Germany," 1972.
This Article Summary written by: Mariya Yevsyukova, Conflict Research Consortium
In 1972 Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev visited West Germany. It was the first visit by a
Soviet leader since the end of the World War. During this visit, Brezhnev met with West
German leader Helmut Schmidt. At an informal dinner, Brezhnev began recounting stories of
German Army atrocities in Russia during the War. Schmidt listened respectfully. When
Brezhnev finished Schmidt responded by sharing his personal experience of being a soldier
on the Russian front, including his own feelings of guilt and anxiety regarding Germany's
invasion of Russia.
In his memoirs Schmidt identifies this incident as a moment of emotional sharing and
conciliation. While Schmidt offered no explicit apology, and Brezhnev offered no explicit
forgiveness, Schmidt nevertheless believed this instance lay the groundwork for mutual
respect between the two leaders.
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