Today is day 162 of my exile.
Exile 162.
Nineteen sixty-two
The year is shaped by the reality of a permanently divided German nation. In West Germany, economic strength, security-policy dependencies, and domestic political conflicts converge into a field of tension made visible by the Spiegel affair. In East Germany, following the construction of the Wall, political control is further intensified to prevent emigration and enforce stability.
Both German states do not act with full autonomy but as parts of opposing alliance systems. The German question remains embedded in the strategic interests of the great powers. Decisions in Bonn and East Berlin are closely tied to the logic of the Cold War, in which security takes precedence over openness.
Internationally, the bloc confrontation reaches a dangerous peak. The Cuban Missile Crisis shows how quickly power politics can turn into an existential threat. At the same time, fractures within the socialist camp deepen, while newly independent states emerging from decolonization struggle for autonomy.
Conflicts escalate even beyond the superpowers. Algeria’s independence brings a long war to an end, while in Asia the border conflict between China and India leads to open fighting. The world of the year is shaped by upheavals that do not arise in isolation but reinforce one another.
Nineteen sixty-two shows how political decisions are made within strained systems and how their effects extend far beyond the moment.
Exile 162.
History moves forward quietly, carried by decisions whose consequences often become visible only later.
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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