Willy Brandt was a German politician who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1969 to 1974. A leading figure in the Social Democratic Party (SPD), he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971 for his efforts to achieve reconciliation between West Germany and the countries of Eastern Europe. His signature foreign policy, Ostpolitik, sought to normalize relations with East Germany and other Soviet-bloc nations. Brandt's chancellorship ended with his resignation after one of his closest aides was exposed as a Stasi spy, but he remained an influential elder statesman.