German Reunification in 1952

In 1952 Stalin made an offer to the west that instead of Germany remaining East and West it would be unified. Said unified state would have an independent government and army, it would also be unconditionally neutral. Stalin had intended this offer to be rejected, it was simply a ruse to cripple West German support for the Adenauer government and halt the rearmament of West Germany. But when it was put forward to the west some Western leaders thought it had merit and actually considered this as a plausible idea.

So what would have happened if we had a "Grey" state in the middle of Cold War Europe? This neutral state would probably be considered dangerous by both sides, and possibly could have even started a Third World War. This Third World War over Germany might have even led to a fourth one over the remains of an aggressive, independent Germany.

Would this state have attacked East or West? What would happen if Russia and the US had gone to war with this neutral Germany in the middle?

Discuss.
 
In my opinion, this "offer" by Stalin was most likely a provocation to the West, and in particular to West German chancellor Adenauer. I think that in the mid-term, Stalin actually planned to invade unified Germany (also neutral, and without allies) and take it as a whole. At least, that is what Adenauer thought and why he neglected the plan. Also, nevermind the fact that the western Allies still had to approve the reunification proposal even if Adenauer accepted it. What of course nobody in 1952 knew was that Stalin would die only a year later. Of course, what would have happened then - with a reunification plan halfway underway and with Stalin "removed", I think all bets are off.

In regard for unified Germany being aggressive, I think it's unlikely, at least as long as the Cold War lasts. I think however that this united Germany would have had greater difficulties at rehabilitation in the international community given it's neutral status.
 
A post-1945 Germany would be anything but threatening and aggressive. Once the Stalin proposal was accepted, you'd have a pacifistic and non-rearming lot of moralists in the middle of Europe.
 

Markus

Banned
So what would have happened if we had a "Grey" state in the middle of Cold War Europe?

Stalin just screwed NATO! One of NATO´s potentially and later acutally strongest members is gone and the ring of puppet regimes around the USSR is covered by a ring of neutrals(Finnland, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Austria). Pretty big win for the communist block.
 
I posted some thoughts on this in a different thread. I suspect that a solid buffer of neutral states between NATO and Warsaw Pact would cut the fear quotient a lot. The west was in fear of the Soviets invading, and, apparently, the Soviets feared the US invading them. With a big neutral block to act as a road-bump, the invading army would be chewed up some before it ever got to its opponents, which would make such an invasion less likely. Cold War tensions would be eased and perhaps less money spent (on both sides) on the military.

With a large, neutral blok in the middle, there would be some possibilities for e.g. Hungary to be able to soften its version of communism (which OTL was crushed brutally).

I think this would very much NOT be a Soviet win. It might look that way for a while, but capitalism beats planned economies and most of that neutral blok is capitalist. Would lead to people in e.g. Poland, Czechoslovakia and Hungary why they can't.
 
In my opinion, this "offer" by Stalin was most likely a provocation to the West, and in particular to West German chancellor Adenauer. I think that in the mid-term, Stalin actually planned to invade unified Germany (also neutral, and without allies) and take it as a whole. At least, that is what Adenauer thought and why he neglected the plan. Also, nevermind the fact that the western Allies still had to approve the reunification proposal even if Adenauer accepted it. What of course nobody in 1952 knew was that Stalin would die only a year later. Of course, what would have happened then - with a reunification plan halfway underway and with Stalin "removed", I think all bets are off.

In regard for unified Germany being aggressive, I think it's unlikely, at least as long as the Cold War lasts. I think however that this united Germany would have had greater difficulties at rehabilitation in the international community given it's neutral status.

But if Stalin invaded a unified Germany then it could turn out to be World War Three. The Allies probably would not stand for this. And the whole thing would probably end up something like Korea, only with the country being fought over would be neutral.
 
A post-1945 Germany would be anything but threatening and aggressive. Once the Stalin proposal was accepted, you'd have a pacifistic and non-rearming lot of moralists in the middle of Europe.

I don't know.. would seven years be long enough for the Nazis not to jump right back in the saddle if both sides pull out?
 
The treaty proposed said that anyone except for convicted war criminals could help control the country.

So it probably wouldn't take long for some form of Nazism to jump back in then.

Actually might not be the worst idea in the world, it'd create a natural buffer state between the two power blocs, and Germany couldn't take on either one so not like they can do anything except make mean faces at both sides.

They'd probably end up in NATO by the 80's. :p
 
So it probably wouldn't take long for some form of Nazism to jump back in then.

Actually might not be the worst idea in the world, it'd create a natural buffer state between the two power blocs, and Germany couldn't take on either one so not like they can do anything except make mean faces at both sides.

They'd probably end up in NATO by the 80's. :p

I doubt that. Unless the Soviets attack around the mid fifties. So lets persue that scenario.
 
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