Letters reveal Margaret Thatcher had serious doubts over reunification of Germany

Margaret Thatcher with former chancellor of Germany Helmut Kohl. Credit: PA

Margaret Thatcher had serious doubts over the reunification of Germany, files newly released by the National Archives show.

The former prime minister had to be persuaded by aides to issue a congratulatory statement following the ending of Germany's partition into two states.

Meanwhile, British officials worked behind the scenes to scupper a planned ceremony celebrating the event to be attended by world leaders.

The fall of the Wall in November 1989 marked the end of the Cold War and paved the way for communist East Germany to be reunited with West Germany, ending the division that had been in place since the end of the Second World War.

Although the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe was a triumph for the West, Mrs Thatcher feared a resurgent Germany would dominate the continent.

The Conservative prime minister's misgivings were so great that she had to be coaxed into making a positive statement by her foreign advisor when she appeared for a photocall with the West German ambassador, Hermann von Richthofen, on the eve of the formal reunification in October 1990.

"The key is to get in the words 'friend, ally and partner' (if you can bear it)," Charles Powell pleaded in a handwritten note.

"Otherwise a message risks being judged negatively, which undermines the only purpose of the exercise."

On behalf of Mrs Thatcher, Mr Powell had already helped to ensure a reunification ceremony planned by German chancellor Helmut Kohl was cancelled.

Well aware that it would not go ahead if US president George Bush Senior was unable to be there, he telephoned the White House to say Mrs Thatcher would be quite happy if he stayed away.

"The prime minister wanted the president to know that October 3 would be very difficult for her and she would not at all mind if the president found that he could not attend," Mr Powell noted.

"I added that the prime minister thought that the celebrations were in any case more appropriate for foreign ministers to attend."

Mrs Thatcher was also appalled when, six years after the end of the Falklands War, foreign secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, suggested he should make a courtesy call to the Argentinian foreign minister, who had just been elected president of the United Nations General Assembly.

Margaret Thatcher and Sir Geoffrey Howe. Credit: PA

"I utterly recoil from this, and so I think would the relatives of all those who lost their lives in the Falklands. Argentina has not announced a cessation of hostilities," she wrote.

Her foreign policy adviser Charles Powell added: "I must say this rather sticks in my gullet. I don't see why we have to offer to call on representatives of a country which is still technically at war with us. But perhaps I am old-fashioned!"

The files also show that almost two decades after she ended free school milk, Mrs Thatcher still recoiled at the memory of the political storm she unleashed.

As education secretary under former prime minister Edward Heath, Mrs Thatcher's decision in 1970 to stop free school milk for junior school pupils prompted the playground taunt "Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher".

When then health secretary Ken Clarke proposed ending free milk for nursery children 19 years later, Mrs Thatcher - by then prime minister - was horrified.

"No - this will cause a terrible row - all for £4 million. I know - I went through it 19 years ago," she wrote.

"Health has enough to do to get the white paper and community proposals through. Any scheme for saving £400 million or more I will look at. But not £4 million."