Peacemaking or Selling Out?

Abstract The “Willy Wahl” of 1972 saw Chancellor Willy Brandt run on the strength of Ostpolitik , his diplomatic engagement with the Eastern Bloc. This study examines how Brandt's moves toward reconciliation impacted his electoral chances while challenging the dominant view that seeking improved relations is politically dangerous. To accomplish this, the study introduces a theory which argues that reconciliation impacts voting in two ways: first, it drives partisans closer to their parties, and, second, it makes those with weaker partisanship more likely to vote for the party of reconciliation. Tested on data from the 1972 election, this theory indicates a strong relationship between support for rapprochement and the spd 's success and finds that views on Ostpolitik overshadowed all other topics, including the economy.