Today is day 181 of my exile.
Exile 181.
Nineteen eighty-one.
In the Federal Republic of Germany, the year is marked by domestic political tensions and economic uncertainty. The aftereffects of the second oil crisis shape the economy and the labor market. Inflation and rising unemployment put pressure on the social-liberal coalition, while at the same time the NATO Double-Track Decision and the deployment of new intermediate-range missiles are being debated. The peace movement is gaining support, driven by concerns that Europe could once again become the stage for global power politics.
In October, in Bonn, Chancellor Helmut Schmidt is ousted through a constructive vote of no confidence. The FDP switches sides, and Helmut Kohl becomes the new chancellor. This shift in power is less the result of a single conflict than the expression of longer-standing tensions over economic, fiscal, and security policy. Political course decisions rarely emerge abruptly; they mature through clashes of differing interests.
In the GDR, the situation in 1981 remains marked by rhetoric of stability, while applications to leave the country and quiet dissatisfaction are increasing. The East-West divide continues to shape the thinking of both German states. Worldwide, tensions between the superpowers intensify; in Poland, the Solidarity trade union demands political reforms, and in the United States, Ronald Reagan’s presidency begins with a clear stance toward Moscow. Security, deterrence, and mistrust intertwine.
Kriege und Krisen haben viele Väter. Entscheidungen entstehen aus Angst, Machtansprüchen und strategischen Kalkülen mehrerer Seiten.
Exile 181.
1981 brings a change of chancellor to the Federal Republic and growing tensions over rearmament. Economic concerns and security fears intensify. Politics emerges from pressure, not from chance.
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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