In the history of the German republic there are three kinds of chancellors. First comes the great statesmen -- a short list: Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt and Helmut Kohl. Through a combination of skill and luck they have attained historic accomplishments: a link to the West, detante with Eastern Europe and German reunification, respectively.
The second category is that of the unlucky leaders. These chancellors served their country but whether through inability or bad luck -- sometimes both -- history does not remember them kindly. These include Ludwig Erhard, Kurt-Georg Kiesinger and Gerhard Schröder.
Read Full Article »