1.4d Why was the reunification of the GDR and FRG so rapid? Flashcards
After the opening of the Berlin wall, how many people didn’t go to the West?
1 million
What 3 things did Krenz promise to try and keep people from leaving?
- Party election
- Media free from government control
- Liberalisation of control on the economy
How was the SED politically removed?
The Volkskammer amended the constitution to end the SED’s leading role
How many days did Krenz last in office?
44 days
Which 2 opposition parties were there to the SED?
New Forum
Democracy Now
What were the names of the talks between opposition groups and Eastern Bloc countries
Round Table talks
Why was the ‘Round Table’ originally set up?
To promote internal GDR reform such as the dissolution of the Stasi
What did ‘New Forum’ and ‘Democracy Now’ want?
A democratic GDR to exist alongside the FRG
Who was the final leader of the SED and the successor of Krenz?
Hans Modrow
What was the SED renamed to?
The SED-PDS, then just the PDS
What did Modrow have a reputation for?
Being reformist
Modrow was who’s preferred choice of leader?
Gorbcahov
What 2 key government departments were removed under Modrow?
Politburo & Central Committee
What replaced the Politburo & Central Committee?
The ‘Council of Ministers’
Who did the ‘Council of Ministers’ include?
Members of opposition groups such as the ‘Round Table’
What 2 things did Modrow announce to try to make people stay?
- Free elections
- Economic reform
In January 1990, how many people left for the West?
70,000
Why was there no fear of SED clampdown on people leaving?
Due to the economic turmoil they were in from people leaving
What event occurred in 1989, showing the declining support for an independent nation?
A concern at Brandenburg Gate where ‘Ole to Freedom’ was sang
What happened at the Stasi HQ in Berlin after the collapse of the SED?
Stasi officers were caught destroying records as protestors tried to salvage incriminating files
What was done to elections in order to try and stem some of the strikes and emigration in 1990?
May elections brought forward to March
In 1990, how did the stance of the ‘Round Table’ change?
They began to call for a more gradual reunification
Which 3 groups joined together to form a political party?
New Forum
Democracy Now
IFM
What was the political party created when New Forum, Democracy Now and IFM joined together?
Alliance 90
Which political party supported the fastest reunification?
CDU - Christian Democratic Union
The March 1990 elections were the first truly democratic elections for __ years
60 years
Which political parties were most popular in the 1990 elections?
Those who called for the fastest reunifcation
Who won the March 1990 elections?
‘Alliance for Germany’
The results of the 1990 elections:
- Alliance for Germany - __%
- SPD - __%
- PDS - __%
- Alliance 90 - _%
The results of the 1990 elections:
- Alliance for Germany - 48%
- SPD - 22%
- PDS - 16%
- Alliance 90 - 3%
Who became Prime Minister and what was his previous position?
Lother de Maiziere - leader of the CDU
Why were the CDU so attractive to voters?
Because of the intervention of FRG Chancellor Helmut Kohl
What had to take place in the GDR’s economy before they could reunify?
The GDR’s economy had to be stabilised
What did Kohl do concerning the differing currencies of the FRG and GDR?
Did a 1-to-1 replacement of the GDR’s DM
Why was Kohl able to do a 1-to-1 replacement of the DM?
Due to the FRG’s economic boom after WW2
What was the effect of the 1-to-1 replacement of the DM?
Western goods flooded the East while their own goods didn’t sell due to the removal of government subsidies
How many farmers protested about the ending of government subsidies at the reunification?
250,000
What did the economic collapse cause people to think, rather oddly?
That reunification needed to be sped up
On what day was the reunification treaty signed?
August 31st
What was the formal text of the treaty to say reunification had happened?
The Lander of the GDR would become Lander of the FRG
For legitimising the reunification, which countries had to agree?
France
Britain
USA
USSR
What did the two-plus-four treaty do?
Renounced all of France, Russia, Britain and the USA’s rights in Germany
What 2 things did the two-plus-four treaty also do?
- Solved the border disagreement with poland
- Allowed Germany to continue its NATO membership
What was the catch for Germany being able to continue its NATO membership?
NATO soldiers would not be positioned on GDR soil
What limits were put on the military from the two-plus-four treaty?
- Ban on nuclear weapons
What was Margaret Thatcher’s opinion on reunification?
She had reservations about it because of the power it would give Germany in Central Europe
What were Thatcher’s concerns regarding Gorbachov?
Saw danger in undermining Gorbachov when he was going through his own economic crisis
What was George Bush’s opinion on reunification?
Very much in support
What did Reagan say in 1987 in a famous speech?
roared at the USSR to “tear down this wall”
What did the USA’s support for reunification do to Britain’s reservations?
Rendered them obsolete
Why did Bush support German reunification?
He saw that reunification along with the end of the Cold War would cut his defence spending
What was the thing that Gorbachov needed before supporting reunification?
The reduction of Cold War hostility
What did Kohl agree to do to gain USSR support for reunification?
Fund the removal of USSR soldiers from the GDR and pay 12 billion DM to resettle them
What concerned Kohl about reunification?
The mass movement of people from East to West
What method did Kohl use to try and keep people in the West?
Monetary assistance
What plan did Kohl put forward to achieve reunification?
Ten-Point-Plan
What did Kohl’s Ten-Point-Plan propose?
A federal system for the whole of Germany
What was the timescale for the Ten-Point-Plan?
10 years
What encouraged Kohl that reunification needed to be done even sooner?
He visited the GDR and received an ecstatic reception
Kohl rejected Modrow’s proposition to…
have Germany as a militarily neutral state because they would have to withdraw from NATO
What did Kohl provide that gave much support to ‘Alliance of Germany’ in the 1990 elections?
Hope
What was it that Kohl generally did that achieved his success?
- Took advantage of his opportunities
- Had a lot of luck
How can public approval for Kohl be seen after reunification?
His CDU won the election with 44% of the vote
