Adenauer

Question 1

1. What happened to relations between the FRG and GDR after 1949? Provide two pieces of evidence to support this.

Answer 1

Relations became increasingly worse as the FRG became closer with the West and the GDR became closer with the USSR.
Hallstein doctrine stated FRG would not legally recognise the GDR as a separate, independent country and would cut off diplomatic relation with any country which had relation of the GDR.

Question 2

2. What was the Hallstein Doctrine (1955)?

Answer 2

FRG stated they would not legally recognised GDR as a separate, independent country and refused to accept GDR as lawful government

Question 3

3. What happened in the first election to the Bundestag? Identify:
   a. When the election took place
   b. The four main political parties who won seats
   c. The party which received the most votes (and percentage)

Answer 3

Took place on 14 Aug 1949.
CDU/CSU, KPD, SPD, FDP won the most seats.
CDU/CSU achieved 31% of votes which was the most.

Question 4

4. Who was appointed the first Chancellor of the FRG?

Answer 4

Konrad Adenauer

Question 5

5. Who did Adenauer want to work closely with in the wider world, and why? (Identify three reasons)

Answer 5

He wanted to work closely with European countries to bring about economic recovery in Germany.
He wanted to work closely with GDR in order to re-unify.
He wanted to work closely with the Western Allies to revise the terms of the Occupational Statute.

Question 6

6. Why were there less political parties elected to the Bundestag, in comparison to the years of the Weimar Republic? (Identify two reasons)

Answer 6

Many small parties could not get past the 5% threshold.

Many extremist parties were banned under Article 21.

Question 7

7. What did some critics name Adenauer’s leadership, and why was this?

Answer 7

Chancellor Democracy, as he controlled both domestic and foreign policy tightly, and was quite authoritarian.

Question 8

8. Identify two political parties that were banned in the 1950s under Article 21 of the Basic Law.

Answer 8

Socialist Reich Party

Communist Party of Germany

Question 9

9. What did the CDU/CSU eventually win in 1957?

Answer 9

A majority in the Bundestag with 50.2% of votes.

Question 10

10. What was Article 131 of the Basic Law, and why was this introduced?

Answer 10

It allowed ex-Nazis to work in the civil service. It was introduced to make the civil service more effective.

Question 11

11. Identify two pieces of evidence that suggest that Adenauer’s leadership was “undemocratic” (e.g. that he undermined freedom of speech).

Answer 11

He abolished parties that he viewed as undemocratic.

He appointed weak ministers who he could push around.

Question 12

12. Identify two pieces of evidence that suggest that there was political stability under the leadership of Adenauer.

Answer 12

Abolishing extremist parties stopped the extremists from trying to undermine democracy.
His dominant personality helped him work in coalitions.

Question 13

1. Identify three examples of economic instability in Germany after the Second World War.

Answer 13

Food Shortages, with food consumption dropping to 950-1150 calories.
20% of housing was destroyed, 30% badly damaged and many needed temporary accommodation.
The Reichsmark became worthless.

Question 14

2. Who was appointed Economics Minister of the FRG in 1949?

Answer 14

Ludwig Erhard

Question 15

3. What was Erhard Ludwig’s vision for the economy?

Answer 15

He wanted to create a social market economy.

Question 16

4. What happened to the currency in 1948, and why did this help the economy to grow?

Answer 16

The Deutschemark replaced the Reichsmark, so there was more confidence in the currency, with wages meaning something, so spending increased, so production increased, causing economic growth.

Question 17

5. What happened to price controls and rationing, and why did this help the economy to grow?

Answer 17

Price controls on products were abolished, as well as rationing so businesses can compete for the best prices. More commodities were sold, so people spent more, instead of panic buying, hoarding food or using the black market.

Question 18

6. What happened to wages, and why did this help the economy to grow?

Answer 18

Wages were fixed until November 1948 to allow businesses to establish and stabilise themselves and to maximise their profits.

Question 19

7. What was the 1952 Equalisation of Burdens Act, and why did this help the economy to grow?

Answer 19

Additional taxation was put on assets, and that money was redistributed to poor Germans who needed it so they can spend it.

Question 20

8. What was the consequence of Erhard’s economic reforms in the short term?

Answer 20

There was no immediate economic recovery. Businesses had to spend money replacing machinery and employing workers. Some businesses collapsed as they could not pay wages, so fired workers. Unemployment increased from 442K to 1.8M from 1948-50.

Question 21

9. What was the consequence of Erhard’s economic reforms in the long term?

Answer 21

FRG experienced huge economic growth, particularly after 1955.

Question 22

10. What is the period of 1955-1965 also known as?

Answer 22

The Economic Miracle

Question 23

11. What happened to the FRG’s Gross National Product between 1950 and 1955?

Answer 23

Almost doubled, then rose by another 25% in 1960.

Question 24

12. What happened to unemployment in the FRG by 1965?

Answer 24

Fell to less than 1%.

Question 25

13. What happened to trade and exports from the FRG in the 1950s and 1960s?

Answer 25

Exports rose from DM 8363M to DM 125300M.

Question 26

14. What happened to standards of living in the FRG in the 1950s and 1960s?

Answer 26

They rose, people began to spend their money on consumer goods. By 1963, 63% of homes had a fridge, 42% had a TV and 36% had a washing machine.

Question 27

15. Identify four reasons that led to rapid economic growth between 1955 and 1965.

Answer 27

Marshall Aid, the Korean War, new investment and refugees.

Question 28

16. How much Marshall Aid did the FRG receive by 1949?

Answer 28

They received 1.5 billion USD by 1951.

Question 29

17. Why did the Marshall Plan cause economic growth in the FRG?

Answer 29

Helped spark the recovery of FRG’s economy, providing the money needed to build new factories and buy new machinery.

Question 30

18. When was the FRG allowed to start producing war materials again?

Answer 30

In 1955 when they joined NATO.

Question 31

19. Why did the Korean War (1950-53) cause economic growth in the FRG?

Answer 31

Created a greater need for war supplies, so Germany can export more so there was more profit for businesses.

Question 32

20. Why did new investment in businesses cause economic growth in the FRG?

Answer 32

They could invest in new and more efficient machinery, so they can produce higher quality goods, selling them at low and competitive prices. Exports increased, so business profit increased, so they can invest further for expansion, so they hired more workers.

Question 33

21. How many workers moved from the GDR to the FRG in the 1950s?

Answer 33

3.6 million

Question 34

22. Why did refugees cause economic growth in the FRG?

Answer 34

Many had skills that the economy needed, so FRG can save money on education and training. More refugees meant more workers, so wages were low as demand fore workers was low. This caused economic growth as businesses made more profit.