Adenauer's Decline Flashcards
1
Q
Del Spiegel article crisis
A
- Der Spiegel, a German magazine, published an article in 1962 about the West German defence forces in a NATO exercise
- it stated that the troops weren’t strong enough to defend the state
2
Q
Public reaction to the Der Spiegel crisis
A
- there was public outrage as a result of the crisis, seen as a direct attack on the press
- domestic and international criticism was targeted at the government for behaving in the extreme way that they did
- the actions of the government were similar to those in Germany’s former dictatorship
3
Q
Government response to the Der Spiegel crisis
A
- there was outrage in the government
- key figures in the magazine were arrested on a count of treason
- Rudolf Augstein, the publisher, and Conrad Ahers, the author were the main figures
- the Ministry of Justice was supposed to deal with the affair but they were bypassed and the Ministry of Defence seized control
4
Q
the impact of Adenauer’s coalition
A
- Adenauer’s coalition collapsed because of infighting which resulted from Strauss’ actions, the leader of the Ministry of Defence
- Adenauer also faced criticism for supporting Strauss
5
Q
Adenauer’s decline - political mishaps
A
- after the political mishap in the 1959 elections, Adenauer lost support
- he declared his intention to run for president but withdrew at the last second
- the made him seen indecisive and tarnished his image
6
Q
Adenauer’s decline - Berlin Wall
A
- Adenauer’s response to the Berlin Wall was a point of criticism
- he was seen to be ignoring the crisis by delaying his visit to Berlin by 2 days
- Willy Brandt, the major of West Berlin, in comparison, was seen as being strong, which in turn made Adenauer look bad
- in 1963 Kennedy visited Berlin but he dealt with Brandt and not Adenauer
7
Q
Adenauer’s decline - Der Spiegel Crisis
A
- Adenauer resigned following the Der Spiegel Crisis
