In 1961, West Germany had become a key part of the Western Bloc during the Cold War.

After World War II, Germany was divided into East and West, with the eastern portion falling under Soviet influence and the western portion aligning with the United States and its allies in NATO.

As tensions escalated between the capitalist West and the communist East, West Germany's strategic location and economic strength made it a vital bulwark against the Soviet sphere of influence.

The formation of the Berlin Wall in 1961 was a symbolic and physical representation of the division between East and West. - https://germanyfocusguide.com/blog/western-germany-1961/?unique_id_fnfi7fou

The Unification of West Germany: A Pivotal Moment in Cold War Geopolitics