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The GDR's Foreign Policy Towards Africa-As A Tool Of State Building

Posted on:2021-03-23Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:K JiangFull Text:PDF
GTID:2416330602488434Subject:Diplomacy
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Foreign policy has both internal and external responsibilities and functions.On the one hand,foreign policies can serve the country's development of foreign relations and safeguard its international interests.On the other hand,foreign policy can also act on the country's state building.Countries can establish their national identity and achieve the goal of state building through foreign policy.In studying the internal function of foreign policy,the history of German Democratic Republic(GDR)'s foreign policy towards Africa can be used as a typical case.GDR's foreign policy towards African was thought to be the result of ideological factors during the Cold War.But what the western scholars apparently ignore was GDR's realistic goal behind.As a country born in the special historical background,GDR suffered diplomatic blockades and regime subversion by the Federal Republic of Germany(FRG)together with the Western forces at the international level.While at the domestic level,it also suffered severe economic and social chaos,as well as the people's distrust in its ruling party.As the result,GDR had to face the serious difficulties of state building and the risk of regime collapse.GDR cannot solve this large problem through the internal political and economic system revolution to improve the national economy and the living standard of people,so that the only way it figured out to change this status was to apply active foreign policy.As for GDR,its political interest of national stability is higher than the economic interest.Therefore,although it was facing a series internal and external difficulties,GDR still invested great amount of human and material resources in Africa which was inconsistent with their national strength and international status,and was willing to sacrifice their economic interests to win African friendship.GDR's acts appeared to violate the country's ‘self-interest principle.' But the fundamental goal of GDR's African policy was to expand its living space and win the diplomatic achievements to obtain the governance performance which is of importance of improving political legitimacy.In addition,GDR hopes to publicize and practice its "internationalist political culture" in Africa to present its superiority over the FRG,and to consolidate its national identity.GDR's African policy prioritizes its state-building goals and had truly obtained certain resources for the survival of the country.However,using foreign policy as a tool for state building may have a short-term effect,but it is only a supplementary means.Subjected to the structural flaws of state building,GDR ultimately failed to solve the problems of political legitimacy and national identity,which caused the German state disappeared as the international environment changed.With the disintegration of the US-Soviet confrontation system that underpins the existence of GDR,it could not avoid the fate of overturning.
Keywords/Search Tags:Foreign policy, State building, GDR, Political legitimacy, National identity
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