Helmut Kohl Was Reagan's Most Important Cold War Ally

When I learned that former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl passed away today at the age of 87, I thought that a case could be made that he was President Reagan's most important Cold War ally against the Soviets.

Now there's no doubt that Reagan was closer in ideological terms with Britain's Margaret Thatcher. But the nexus of the Cold War was in the divided Germany. In order to counter the Soviet buildup of SS-20s, it was necessary for West Germany to accept U.S. Pershing II Missiles. Although Kohl's predecessor Helmut Schmidt supported the plan he could not get support within his own Social Democratic Party and this would contribute to Schmidt's downfall and Kohl's rise. Despite overwhelming protests in West Germany and throughout Europe, Kohl's government approved the Pershing IIs and they proved to be the beginning of the end of the Cold War.

If not for this fact I doubt Reagan accepts Kohl's invitation to Bitburg two years later where he laid a wreath on the grave of a SS soldier. It was not Reagan's finest hour as he caused much unnecessary pain. Nevertheless, if not for Kohl's acceptance of the Pershing IIs the Cold War would have lasted much longer.

Reagan might have said, "Tear down this wall,", but it was Kohl who reunified Germany and was the co-architect of the European Union along with Francois Mitterand. The fact that Kohl was close with both Reagan and Mitterand is a testimony to his political skills.

But even the best politicians aren't infallible. Kohl failed to win a fifth term in 1998 as he fell to Gerhard Schroeder of the SDP. Although the CDU would regain power under Angela Merkel in 2005, Kohl was critical of his fellow Christian Democrat particularly in her policy of rapid absorption of Syrian refugees. If Kohl had been in power, I don't think he would be Trump like in his refugee policy, but he would surely have exercised more restraint in admitting migrants.

Despite the claims by the likes of former State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns that Merkel is the leader of the free world, it is Kohl who remains Germany's most significant post-war Chancellor. R.I.P.