The German Peace Movement against the American War in Vietnam

Abstract

During the Cold War, Vietnam and Germany shared a common destiny: both countries were divided into parts which were standing in opposite side of the ideological confrontation. The Gold War antagonism developed and turned into most long-lasted and bloody conflict. As a consequence of the continuous escalation of the conflict, since 1965 Vietnamese people had to fight directly against the American troops. Right after the US government sent troops to combat in South Vietnam, a large anti-war movement broke out in the United States and the other Western countries, particularly in Germany, one of the most important allies of the United States.

Based on a large range of documents, mainly from the German sources, this article seeks to analyze the main features of the peace movement in Germany in two periods. In the first period (1965-1967), the movement was in fact a continuous development of the peace movement which had already started in Germany in the mid-19th century. The German people, particularly the German youth, protested not only the US government but also the German government's pro-American policies. However, this movement did not necessarily aim at supporting the Vietnamese in their struggle against the American. In the second period (1968-1973), the movement became radicalized and its two goals of anti-American war and supporting the Vietnamese were mixed together. More German people joined the movement and collisions between demonstrators and policement happened more often.

Together with the peace movements in the USA as well as in the other countries, the German peace movement contributed greatly to bringing the US war in Vietnam to the end. A study of this movement therefore contributes a further understanding of the Vietnam War.