War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Interview with Jurgen Todenhofer, 1986
Description:
Jurgen Todenhofer was a West German politician, a member of the Christian Democratic Union, who served in Parliament from 1972-1990 and for a time as party spokesman for arms control. In the interview he discusses American-Soviet nuclear disarmament negotiations, and their effects on Germany. He describes the Reykjavik Summit between Reagan and Gorbachev and the proposal of a zero solution. He also discusses the proposal of a double zero solution, which would remove both strategic and shorter-range missiles. He does not think that these solutions are in the best interest of Germany, as they leave the country vulnerable to an attack by the Warsaw Pact's superior conventional forces, with no nuclear deterrent. He criticizes the Reagan administration for being unprepared for Reykjavik, and makes clear his view that the U.S., British and French governments let Germany down with respect to the double zero solution, and that the Americans do not fundamentally care about German interests. He argues that disarmament should not just be concerned with nuclear, but also with conventional weapons.
