Today is day 180 of my exile.
Exile 180.
Nineteen eighty.
The year 1980 is marked by a hardened global situation. The Cold War intensifies once again after the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan at the end of 1979 shattered the fragile balance. The United States responds with a boycott and signals of rearmament, while Europe seeks its own path between deterrence and dialogue.
In the Federal Republic of Germany, the rearmament debate shapes the political discussion. The NATO Double-Track Decision continues to have an impact, and many citizens fear the deployment of new intermediate-range missiles on German soil. At the same time, the social-liberal coalition under Helmut Schmidt remains committed to securing economic stability in a period of global uncertainty.
In the German Democratic Republic, the year is marked by close ties to Moscow. Economic leeway remains limited, supply shortages increase, yet outwardly the leadership projects unity. Relations between East and West Germany remain cautious, shaped by pragmatic cooperation and political distance.
Internationally, power balances are shifting. In Poland, the first independent trade union movements are emerging; in the Middle East, tensions persist; and the global economy is struggling with the consequences of the second oil crisis. Power politics, security interests, and economic pressure intertwine, and as so often, many decisions by many states contribute to an overall climate of tension.
Germany remains divided, but it also remains a junction of systems.
Exile 180.
The fronts are rigid, yet beneath the surface, movement begins.
1980 stands between deterrence and dialogue.
Germany lives in the shadow of rearmament and bloc confrontation.
The systems appear firmly entrenched, yet cracks are becoming visible.
Exile Chronicle
All previous (from 130 – earlier entries are on X/Twitter) and ongoing entries of my Exile Chronicle are collected and documented here:
👉 https://marlas.army/exil-chronik/
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