The signs throughout Eastern Europe are unmistakably clear — the Iron Curtain is rusting away. But why? Why did Romania's Ceausescu recently invite President Nixon, leader of the West, to visit his Communist country? What is happening on Russia's front doorstep?
Bucharest, Romania FEW in the West grasped the full import of Mr. Nixon's recent trip to Romania. Few realize the reason for the very warm reception which he received from the leaders and the common peoples of Romania. The very fact that President Nixon was invited to Romania by Ceausescu, their Communist leader, is most significant. And the very fact that Mr. Nixon felt free to accept the invitation should wake us up.
Breakup of an Empire
It all adds up to the fact that Russia's grip over Eastern Europe is loosening! If the idea of "national socialism" or "national Communism" hadn't already taken deep root within a number of East European nations, Mr. Nixon would never have been invited to Romania. President Nixon would not have dared to accept an invitation which could have provoked the Russians into violent action against the Romanians. President Nixon is a very well-informed man. He knows there is a strong movement toward nationalism or "national Communism" in Eastern Europe today. Furthermore, Mr. Nixon knows the U.S. now has a number of things going in its favor. The spectacular and successful moonwalk has caused America's prestige and popularity to soar moon-high in the eyes of most nations of the world. The world has been tremendously impressed by U.S. technological know-how. The world has also applauded America's openness in revealing to the whole world just what she was doing in her race toward the moon. The USSR always cloaks all her activities in utter secrecy. Mr. Nixon was able to ride the tide of international admiration now being shown toward the U.S. because of her spectacular space accomplishment. The U.S. President could even promise moon-rock to various national leaders on his world tour. Right now, moon-rock has much greater prestige value than pure gold!
Impact of Sino-Soviet Rift
Mr. Nixon is well aware that the USSR has been deeply worried by China's claim of vast stretches of Soviet territory. Soviet Russian leaders have had much to occupy their minds — apart from their usual mischief-making exportation of the Communist ideology to other nations. They have been, understandably, very eager to reach a detente — some kind of an accommodation or an understanding with the U.S. which would give them a free hand to deal with China. And, on top of all this, Russian leaders have, in recent years, had their hands full trying to keep their unruly Communist offspring in Eastern Europe from leaving the Communist fold. The 1956 uprising in Hungary proved that point. The liberalizing moves which Czechoslovakia was making, just prior to Soviet military occupation in 1968, proved that the nations of Eastern Europe want to have a free hand to choose their national destinies. East Europeans want to decide for themselves how to make communism work. And they wish to trade with whomsoever they please. All of these trends toward nationalism in Eastern Europe are proving to be a deep worry to Soviet Russia. The Red Army's military occupation of Czechoslovakia in 1968 showed just how strongly the Russians feel about the Communist satellites of Eastern Europe leaving the Communist fold. Soviet leaders felt they had no option but to check (even by force, if necessary) any movement toward Western democracy in Czechoslovakia. Recently 1,900 delegates to Romania's Tenth Communist Party Congress approved a final resolution which clearly outlined Romania's independent polity, full sovereignty, non-interference in the internal affairs of others, equality of rights, peaceful coexistence. A number of Romanian speakers made it clear that no foreign troops would be allowed to enter their country without the express consent of Romania's political and military authorities. The Soviet Union knows these warnings are aimed directly at Moscow.
What Russia Fears
Now it is painfully clear to the Soviets that while they have been orbiting satellites around the earth and moon, their own satellites in Eastern Europe (at least some of them) are about to slip out of the Russian orbit — gravitating toward Western Europe. President Nixon's visit to Romania served to illustrate, painfully, this hard fact to the Russians. They now feel almost helpless to interfere in the internal affairs of that country, for they know this would demolish — once and for all — any trust which other satellites or other non-Communist nations might ever have toward Soviet Russia. If Russia and her Warsaw Pact allies repeatedly have to "liberate" their own allies — then something is drastically wrong. Already, there is a fierce struggle going on between Russia and China for control of world Communism. Now the satellite nations of East Europe have a choice — can choose either the Russian or the Chinese brand of Communism. Or they can profess neutrality (as Romania has done) and play off both ends against the middle — thereby securing certain advantages from both the Russians and the Chinese. And to complicate things still further, the nations west of the Iron Curtain have been able to provide a much higher standard of living for their peoples than any of the Communist nations have been able to provide.
A Calculated Risk
These are some of the present-day facts of life in East Europe which the Russians have to deal with daily. And it is these simple truths which made it possible for Romania's Ceausescu to invite President Nixon to pay a friendly visit to his country. It is highly doubtful if Mr. Ceausescu would have invited Mr. Nixon to visit Romania — if he hadn't believed Russia would do nothing about it. Likewise, President Nixon would hardly have accepted the invitation had he thought this would have provoked the Russian bear to the point of occupying Romania. Both Mr. Ceausescu and Mr. Nixon were, in fact, taking a calculated risk — fully thought out — which they felt would pay off handsomely should the Russian bear not be riled up enough to move against her satellite neighbor. If Russia stands by and does nothing, then this will be a sure signal for other satellite countries to begin thumbing their noses at the Russians! The most important point about Mr. Nixon's visit to Romania was its symbolic implication of East European nationalism. Furthermore, Ceausescu has done nothing to blatantly provoke the Russians. He walks a tightrope — still professes to be a good Communist. He undoubtedly learned from the Russian intervention in Czechoslovakia that he must not go too far. The Czechs now see they went too far too fast in their liberalization or their democratization. This alarmed Moscow and caused the Russian bear to lumber into Czechoslovakia. So, the Romanians know they must play it cool — if they are to retain the measure of independence which they have. If they go too far and too fast — Soviet Russia will become alarmed and might incite the members of the Warsaw Pact countries to "liberate" Romania and to teach the Romanians to toe the Moscow line.
The Grand Design
Few are really aware that things in Eastern Europe are going exactly according to a master design. Few understand what that grand design — especially as it relates to events in the Balkan nations — really is. Many would be shocked if they knew the real truth about the concerted effort to woo the Communist nations of Eastern Europe into the Western fold. The Russians have, for years, believed that the West was trying every means within their power to attract the satellite nations of East Europe into their orbit. The Russians have feared that West Germany especially would use this very means to attract some of the Balkan nations away from the Soviet sphere of influence. And, of course, Russian propaganda machines have been grinding away on this theme for years — saying that the West would try to subvert East Europe by driving economic, cultural and ideological wedges between the USSR and her satellites. Europe's most powerful politician, Franz Josef Strauss (Finance Minister of West Germany) has revealed exactly how he believes East Europe can best be liberated — and how the two Germanys can once again be reunited. Mr. Strauss knows that it will not be easy to ever sell the Russians on the idea that the two Germanys should be reunited. The Russians still remember and fear what Germany did in World Wars I and II. A few years ago I heard Russia's Kosygin repeatedly express his (and the USSR's) deep-seated fear of a strong, reunited Germany — especially if they ever got their finger on the nuclear trigger. What does Herr Strauss have to say about the liberation of the nations of Eastern Europe? In his book, The Grand Design, he outlines precisely how he thinks East Europe can be freed from the yoke of Communism. Let us closely examine a few of Strauss' statements from this book. "If," says Strauss, "a unified Germany can become a member of a European Federation, which keeps its doors open towards the East, the policy of which is neither dominated by Germany nor leaves Germany in a vacuum, this will deprive Germany of any opportunity to play off the East against the West or vice versa." Franz Josef Strauss believes the West can liberate East Europe from Russia's iron grip: "During this period we must attract the Eastern and Southeastern European nations more and more closely to Western Europe by cultural and economic ties, tourism, sporting events or any other suitable means. As far as economic cooperation is concerned, as I have said, we must be careful not to assist the Communist regimes to consolidate their power or to overcome too readily the weaknesses and deficiencies in their [Communistic] system... We must support the process of the slow dismantling of these Communist regimes and the adaptation of these Eastern European countries to the life and standards of Western Europe." Czechoslovakia tried to dismantle their Communist regime too quickly. It backfired.
Balkans as a Buffer
The Balkan nations (Romania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Albania, Greece and European Turkey) should be made into a buffer zone according to Strauss: "It must be our task now to create a belt between Russia and Western Europe, which might be called 'buffer Europe,' which is not under Russian domination and not under German domination. It could not become part of a European Federation [meaning a strong United States of Europe] in the immediate future, but this buffer Europe could furnish a satisfactory military guarantee to Russia if Western Europe had fully incorporated Germany." Herr Strauss then speaks of this European Federation as "exercising increasing influence and attraction on the Communist satellites..." He says: "This new European constellation would provide a powerful attraction to those countries which at present lie between Western Europe and the Soviet Union. We cannot expect to incorporate them in the immediately foreseeable future into a European Federation or a United States of Europe. But it must be made possible for them to acquire the interim function of a buffer Europe." Mr. Strauss recognizes the tendency in Eastern Europe toward national Communism — or National Socialism. "In each of the Eastern European countries a tendency towards what might be called 'national Communism' is emerging," says Strauss. Then Herr Strauss goes on to spell out his ideas with greater clarity: "What we must establish is the right of any European to the home of his choice in a free and united Europe under the rule of law, stretching from the Atlantic to the River Bug and the Black Sea." (Romania borders the Black Sea) Strauss then drives his point home by stating that Eastern Europe can only be liberated through the instrumentality of a United States of Europe. "The only way for Eastern Europeans to regain their freedom is to construct a strong and unified Western Europe, where every citizen enjoys freedom of movement [no more Iron Curtain] and a free choice of where to work and live. In a United States of Europe, the Soviet tyranny over Eastern Europe would be lifted and every free citizen — be he a Pole, a Belgian, a German, an Italian or a Czechoslovakian — would be able to take up residence where he chose, whether it was where his ancestors lived or where the fancy took him." Franz Josef Strauss then concluded by saying that he would "support" the idea of establishing "better relationships with the Communist countries in order to loosen the Russian hold on the satellites and attract them again to the West." Another noted advocate of a strong federal Europe (a U.S. of Europe) and of liberating the Balkans is Otto von Hapsburg, heir to the famous Hapsburg throne which once ruled the Holy Roman Empire. In his book, The Social Order of Tomorrow, Otto von Hapsburg makes the following significant statements: "We must therefore stress from the beginning that, by Europe, we mean the continent in its entirety. This will involve the reintegration of the territories of which we were deprived by the treaties of Teheran and Yalta. That is the goal towards which we must work." He then mentions that the present situation in Europe cannot forever remain as it is. "Even in the atomic age, our security will demand the liberation of the Balkans and the territories bounded by the Carpathian Mountains from extra-European influences."
East Europe Is Slipping
What, then, is the real significance of President Nixon's visit to Romania? Mr. Nixon's visit to tiny Romania (about the size of the state of Oregon) with only about 19 million inhabitants is significant in that it clearly demonstrated that the USSR is losing its grip over that Communist nation. The USSR fears "national Communism" or "national socialism" — and that is precisely what is developing in a number of East European and Balkan countries. For many years now, The WORLD TOMORROW program and The PLAIN TRUTH magazine have been telling the world that some of the Eastern European nations would come out from the clutches of Soviet Russia. Through The WORLD TOMORROW and The PLAIN TRUTH we have continually shown that a full-fledged United States of Europe is soon destined to rear its head. This power bloc will eventually become stronger than either the U.S. or Russia. Lately, a number of writers or news reporters have spoken of the possibility of the present Common Market being enlarged from six to ten. It is therefore very evident that this soon-coming 10-nation United States of Europe (for which Strauss and others are campaigning day and night) would have to include one or more of the Eastern European nations. Another key to assist revealing which nations will form the ten nations to ultimately make up the United States of Europe is that they will be religiously united — as during the days of the Holy Roman Empire.
Iron Curtain Continues to Rust
The Iron Curtain has, for years, been rusting away. It is now crumbling. Some of the Eastern European nations may join with the Common Market nations to form a United States of Europe of ten nations — which will have its own nuclear weapons — and will use them! This frightening possibility strikes panic in the Soviet Union. Even the U.S. looks upon this possibility as a "calculated risk." You need to watch events in Eastern Europe. Russia's satellites are restless. Some are destined to throw off the Soviet yoke, and turn toward Western Europe — in the very near future! To understand exactly how events in Europe will shape up in the near future, read our free book, The United States and the British Commonwealth in Prophecy. It will open your eyes to information you probably have never seen before!
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