Willy Brandt's Understanding of History Brandt once said, "Whoever forgets history will get sick". As a German and a German politician, Brandt did not shy away from the crimes committed by Germany in World War II. Brandt described the massacre of fascist Germany in Poland in his memoirs. "From the sudden attack of 1939 in September to the end of the terror, Poland has been in fear, which cannot be expressed by simple figures. The Polish people sacrificed 6 million people-this figure includes almost all Jewish residents. On the land of Poland, Jewish children, women and men were exterminated on a large scale-nearly 4 million people were killed in Auschwitz alone. " 1970 12, Brandt visited Poland and knelt in front of the Warsaw Jewish Uprising Monument. After signing the Warsaw Treaty, a programmatic document on the normalization of relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and Poland, Brandt said in a televised speech, "Some names like Auschwitz will be remembered by the two peoples for a long time and will remind people that there is a possibility of hell on earth; We have been there ourselves. However, it is this experience that forces us to seize this task in the future. Escaping from reality can lead to dangerous fantasies. The affirmation of this treaty, reconciliation and peace is a belief in the whole history of Germany. " 1In June, 973, Brandt visited Israel and became the first German federal chancellor to visit Israel. Brandt read the Bible at the Yad Vashem Jewish Holocaust Memorial Hall in Israel. Brandt said, "Jerusalem is not the first place for me to revisit the past, nor is it the last place. However, Jerusalem is the most important stop, because it fully embodies our dark past. It wants us to realize our responsibility as Germans. " Brandt respects the people and stands with them. When talking about what made him return to Germany from Norway after the war, Brandt said: "It was not the motherland that conquered me, but the people who tried to rebuild their lives on the basis of freedom after experiencing tyranny, war and collapse. Yes, it was the people who made me a German citizen again. It is their amazing enthusiasm for work, their ability to complete any work, and their spirit of helping each other. " After the end of World War II, Germany was split in two by big countries and was at the forefront of the two camps of the United States and the Soviet Union. After the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Adenauer government adopted the practice of falling to the western camp, which intensified the confrontation between the East and the West to some extent. In order to create a peaceful surrounding environment for the Federal Republic of Germany, Brandt complied with public opinion and actively promoted the "New Oriental Policy" to promote reconciliation with the eastern countries. Brandt did not hesitate to sacrifice his personal dignity and made a "Warsaw Kneel" that shocked the world. Brandt called for "kneeling in Warsaw" with the people. "I knelt down not because I confessed, but because I wanted to be with the people of our country, that is to say, with such people, some of them committed appalling crimes. This move is not only aimed at Poles, but also at Germans. ..... because many people, even too many people, need to eliminate loneliness and share this heavy responsibility. " Brandt believes that although it is impossible to blame all Germans, especially post-war Germans, it does not mean that Mingde people are not responsible for that period of history. Although Brandt claimed that he had a "clear conscience" about that period of history, "it is unfair and wrong to blame our people and my generation. The sin can only be borne by someone, and it must never be borne by the people or the next generation. " However, Brandt also stressed that he and other Germans were responsible for the Nazi coming to power. "Although I left Germany a long time ago, although I never supported Hitler, to put it mildly, it does not rule out that I have to bear certain responsibilities, or joint and several liability. ..... We should ask ourselves: Why did Hitler come to power? This question should be answered, not only because millions of people foolishly followed him, but also because others failed to stop him. " As a politician, Brandt not only can face up to history himself, but also has the courage to be responsible for history on behalf of his own people and open the door to reconciliation with the eastern countries. His main practice is to carry out the "New Oriental Policy". Brandt said that the purpose of the New Oriental policy is to explore "compromise and reconciliation" with the East. An important part of the "New Oriental Policy" is to ease relations with Poland. To this end, Brandt visited Poland in February 1970. Brandt said that his trip to Warsaw must be "tested by history" on behalf of his compatriots. Brandt said that he was "not ashamed" of the action of "kneeling in Warsaw". "Under the burden of modern German history, I did what people would do when words could not be expressed; I use this to mourn the millions of victims. " Talking about his trip to Israel from June 65438 to June 0973, Brandt said that his trip to Israel was "not in his personal capacity", but as a representative of the new Germany. The trip to Jerusalem "requires us to acknowledge our responsibilities as Germans. It tells us that everything we have done in the past should not be forgotten or erased. " Regarding reading the Bible in Yad Vashem Jewish Holocaust Memorial Hall, Brandt said, "Just like in Warsaw, I told myself that I can't just lay a wreath with a straight face or excitement. ..... I want to say something, and I don't want to be indifferent. I repeatedly told myself that there should be a move that is beneficial to both Germans and Jews and opens up a road for the future. "