Having effectively recognized one another in the Basic Treaty, both German states are admitted into the United Nations on September 13.
West Germany’s policy towards the Eastern Bloc puts the GDR under ideological pressure. Additionally, a conflict arises regarding West German “escape aid organizations” that assist refugees escaping from the GDR. In October the first trial of two professional West German “escape helpers” begins in East Berlin; they are ultimately sentenced to long prison terms.
The Paris Peace Accords ending the Vietnam War are signed in January, though in practice, conflict continues for another two years.
In October the fourth Israeli-Arab war, the Yom Kippur War, breaks out. The Arab states begin to use oil as a political weapon by refusing shipment, sparking the first global oil crisis in the industrialized nations.
1973 Oil and War
In reaction to the oil shortage, the West German parliament passes an Energy Security Act. On four Sundays in November and December the highways are empty, as here on November 25 near the Frankfurt interchange.
