German Unity Quotes
Kennedy had gone to West Berlin in the midst of the Cold War and the worst of the Berlin Wall. This quotation was a great example of symbolism in politics. His presence. his delivery of the line in German, the statement identified him personally and the United States with the Berliners who were surrounded by Russian dominated East Germany, endeared him to Berliners, Germans, Europeans and freedom loving people the world over even though he stated no policies, goals, or programs. His identification said it all.
The "Rhenish Republic" only lasted for a few days. Although if the Allies had allowed the Rhinelanders to separate, the Prussians who would also form the backbone of the German military in WWII would have been very weakened, only France was very worried about future German aggression. However the French were more motivated by their desire to obtain the money reparations that Germany was required to pay. If Germany had split up into separate independent states which many Germans favored, then the French worried that they would have much more trouble collecting their reparations in the future as the Rhinelanders and other German subgroups really blamed the Prussians for the German aggression and might not feel responsible to make payments. Therefore the Allies did not insist on the separation and the Prussians and many of the right wing were absolutely opposed to it. Interestingly, Konrad Adenauer, then the Chief Bürgermeister of Cologne and later to be the First President of Post WWII West Germany was an enthusiast for the general German separation and the Rhineland Movement in particular of which he was one of the leaders.
