Britain's then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was adamantly opposed to German unification. Her Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd had to work hard to convince her to give up her resistance.The Iron Lady feared that unification would revive German nationalism. She and French President François Mitterrand tried to prevent German reunification. But when Mitterrand changed his mind, Thatcher was left isolated. Douglas Hurd then got the go-ahead to represent Britain in the 2+4 talks.