It is a good idea to plan ahead. The East German gorvernment of 1988 looked at least as secure as the NK government looks now. The West German military draft was extended in 1988 'because the commies are stronger than ever'. When the East German regime fell, it fell so quickly that nobody had the time to make a well-thought out plan.

The West German government didn't have any plan in 1989, despite all the Sunday speeches dreaming of re-unification. In hindsight, many things could have been done better, eg the rules about ownership of nationalized property. Unresolved ownership questions were a huge roadblock for economic development.