Editing German reunification (section)

== Naming ==
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1990-1003-417, Berlin, Flaggen vor dem Reichstag.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.35|1990 German Unity Day, with [[flags of German states|flags of all German states]] at the [[Reichstag building]] in [[Berlin]], Germany]]
The term "German reunification" was given to the process of the German Democratic Republic joining the Federal Republic of Germany with full German sovereignty from the [[Allied-occupied Germany|four Allied-occupied countries]] to distinguish it from the [[Unification of Germany|process of unification of most of the German states]] into the [[German Empire]] (German Reich) led by the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] that took place from 18 August 1866 to 18 January 1871, 3 October 1990 was the day when Germany again became a single [[nation-state]]. However, for political and diplomatic reasons, West German politicians carefully avoided the term "[[reunification]]" during the runup to what Germans frequently refer to as ''[[Die Wende]]'' (roughly: "the turning point"). The 1990 treaty defines the official term as {{langx|de|Deutsche Einheit|label=none}} ("German unity");<ref name="Einigungsvertrag" /> this is commonly used in Germany.

After 1990, the term {{langx|de|die Wende|label=none}} became more common. The term generally refers to the events (mostly in Eastern Europe) that led up to the actual reunification, and loosely translates to "the turning point". Anti-communist activists from Eastern Germany rejected the term {{langx|de|Wende|label=none}} as it had been introduced by the SED Secretary General [[Egon Krenz]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://1989.dra.de/ton-und-videoarchiv/archivnachweise.html?tx_weeaardra_pi2%5Bwhat%5D=031846%2C031846&tx_weeaardra_pi2%5Bfrom%5D=38&tx_weeaardra_pi2%5Bids%5D=302%2C146&tx_weeaardra_pi2%5BbackId%5D=38&cHash=ba89eab5f1|title=DRA: Archivnachweise|date=9 June 2009|access-date=5 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718231606/http://1989.dra.de/ton-und-videoarchiv/archivnachweise.html?tx_weeaardra_pi2%5Bwhat%5D=031846,031846&tx_weeaardra_pi2%5Bfrom%5D=38&tx_weeaardra_pi2%5Bids%5D=302,146&tx_weeaardra_pi2%5BbackId%5D=38&cHash=ba89eab5f1|archive-date=18 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Some people have stated that the reunification can be classified as an annexation of the GDR by the FRG.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pfeil |first=Ulrich |title=Die DDR als Zankapfel in Forschung und Politik |url=https://www.bpb.de/themen/deutschlandarchiv/307645/die-ddr-als-zankapfel-in-forschung-und-politik/ |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=bpb.de |date=9 April 2020 |language=de |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718110234/https://www.bpb.de/themen/deutschlandarchiv/307645/die-ddr-als-zankapfel-in-forschung-und-politik/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mühlbauer |first=Peter |title=War die deutsche Wiedervereinigung eine Annexion? |url=https://www.heise.de/tp/features/War-die-deutsche-Wiedervereinigung-eine-Annexion-3369834.html |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=Telepolis |date=29 January 2015 |language=de |archive-date=14 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214110901/https://www.heise.de/tp/features/War-die-deutsche-Wiedervereinigung-eine-Annexion-3369834.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Buchholz |first=Erich |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/427322273 |title=Totalliquidierung in zwei Akten : [juristische Annexion der DDR] |date=2009 |publisher=Homilius |isbn=978-3-89706-406-5 |location=Berlin |oclc=427322273 |access-date=6 June 2023 |archive-date=13 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240213042936/https://search.worldcat.org/title/427322273 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Unification or annexation? |url=https://www.dw.com/en/charges-that-unification-was-really-an-annexation-stir-up-memories/a-5962238 |access-date=2022-11-18 |website=DW |date=Sep 1, 2010 |language=en |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718105338/https://www.dw.com/en/charges-that-unification-was-really-an-annexation-stir-up-memories/a-5962238 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1 October 2010 |first1=Oana |last1=Lungescu |title=Germany's reunification plunge |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-11447587 |access-date=2022-11-18 |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718110318/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-11447587 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2010-08-31 |title=Reunification Controversy: Was East Germany Really 'Annexed?' |language=en |work=Der Spiegel |url=https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/reunification-controversy-was-east-germany-really-annexed-a-714826.html |access-date=2022-11-18 |issn=2195-1349 |archive-date=23 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823150533/https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/reunification-controversy-was-east-germany-really-annexed-a-714826.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Duma May Slam East German 'Annexation' |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-germany-reunification/26818112.html |access-date=2022-11-18 |newspaper=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |date=29 January 2015 |language=en |archive-date=18 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718112738/https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-germany-reunification/26818112.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Scholar Ned Richardson-Little from the [[University of Erfurt]] noted that the terminology of an annexation can be interpreted from backgrounds across the political spectrum.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ned Richardson-Little on Twitter |url=https://twitter.com/historyned/status/1529012181676834816 |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=Twitter |language=en |archive-date=13 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213132012/https://twitter.com/historyned/status/1529012181676834816 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015, a Russian proposal was made that classified it as an annexation. [[Mikhail Gorbachev]] named it 'nonsense'.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Russia's bizarre proposal to condemn West Germany's 1989 'annexation' of East Germany |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/01/28/russias-bizarre-proposal-to-condemn-west-germanys-1989-annexation-of-east-germany/ |access-date=2022-11-18 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |title=Beitritt zur BRD: Vom Westen "überrannt"? {{!}} MDR.DE |url=https://www.mdr.de/geschichte/eure-geschichte/nachwendegeschichte/Vom-Westen-ueberrannt-Beitritt-DDR-in-BRD-schulprojekt-eure-geschichte-bloecher-100.html |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=[[Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk]] |language=de |archive-date=29 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329050535/https://www.mdr.de/geschichte/eure-geschichte/nachwendegeschichte/Vom-Westen-ueberrannt-Beitritt-DDR-in-BRD-schulprojekt-eure-geschichte-bloecher-100.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2010, [[Matthias Platzeck]] referred to the reunification as an '[[anschluss]]'.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-05 |title=12 Germans who got played by Putin |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/blame-germany-russia-policy/ |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=POLITICO |language=en |archive-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529010644/https://www.politico.eu/article/blame-germany-russia-policy/ |url-status=live }}</ref>