This paper deals with the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. The author examines the historical relationship between West
Germany and the former Soviet Union from the Cold War period. The paper discusses the opening of economic ties between West Germany and the rest of Western Europe. From the paper: "The war in Vietnam greatly
increased US government spending on weapons and other supplies, the demand for which American industry could not fully meet. To fill the rest of the orders, the US turned to the other Western industrialized
countries, in many cases West Germany and Japan. This increased spending helped jumpstart the economies of these countries, moving both West Germany and Japan from debtor to creditor nations as they achieved large trade surpluses. As it grew more powerful economically, West Germany took a more independent path politically."