Willy Brandt

Abstract

Willy Brandt’s global vision was made up of four concentric circles: a Berlin circle attuned to an undivided Berlin; a German circle attuned to a unified peaceful Germany; a European circle aimed at building up a Union of European States as a bastion of peace in the world; and a global circle, aimed at building a global peace structure based on international solidarity, common security and a common future. His Ostpolitik, and other initiatives to promote East–West cooperation, North–South cooperation and South–South cooperation to bridge the divides, and to progressively eliminate the role of arms in international relations, were different facets of his vision of building a peaceful ‘One World’. In 1971, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Brandt Commission, which he chaired, stated categorically that the development of the South was in the best interests of the North.