Guillaume affair
| Date | 1973 - 1974 |
|---|
The Guillaume affair centred on Günter Guillaume, a personal assistant of Willy Brandt who was exposed as an East German spy, and led to Brandt's resignation as West German Chancellor.
Official narrative
Around 1973, West German security organizations received information that one of Brandt's personal assistants, Günter Guillaume, was a spy for the East German state. Brandt was asked to continue work as usual, and he agreed, even taking a private vacation with Guillaume. Guillaume was arrested on April 24, 1974.[1]
Brandt, who became known for his detente policy to achieve reconciliation between West Germany and the countries of Eastern Europe was succeeded as Chancellor by fellow Social Democrat Helmut Schmidt, who went for a harder line. For the rest of his life, Brandt remained suspicious that his fellow Social Democrat and longtime rival Herbert Wehner had been scheming for his downfall.
