Adenauer social problems + social stability

Question 1

What social problems did Adenauer face?

Answer 1

1/4 of the population was fatherless
large no of people lost property during war
large number of refugees from the Soviet-controlled Eastern zone

Question 2

How were refugees from the Soviet-controlled Eastern zone a social problem?

Answer 2

although they were a source of cheap labour, they put others out of work + were therefore resented by West Germans

Question 3

How much of the population was fatherless after the WW2?

Answer 3

1/4

Question 4

Why were social problems a challenge for Adenuaer?

Answer 4

they were complex; he had to win support of Germans who had either supported or at least co-operated with the Nazis + also millions of refugees who had lost their homes in the East
many of them were not supporters of democracy

Question 5

What social policies were there?

Answer 5

gov compensated those who suffered
gov exonerated most Nazis from their crimes
former Nazi civil servants regained their jobs
former Nazis able to claim pensions for their service to the Nazi state so not alienated

Question 6

How did the government exonerate most Nazis from their crimes?

Answer 6

by acknowledging that crimes had been committed, but collectively and not by individuals
speech to the Bundestag in 1951

Question 7

How did former Nazi civil servants regain their jobs?

Answer 7

through Law 131, with the result that 40-80% of civil servants were ex-Nazis

Question 8

What was the impact of the social policies?

Answer 8

they created an atmosphere in which people did not fear retribution and helped to create social stability

Question 9

How did the economic miracle help to create an affluent society?

Answer 9

despite an unequal amount of wealth & social inequalities, most benefitted enough to support gov during 1950s
significant improvement in housing
wages rose
travel available for those with surplus income

Question 10

What statistics show that there had been a significant improvement in housing?

Answer 10

some 430,000 homes were built by 1952 and over 4 million by 1957

Question 11

how many houses had been built by 1952?

Answer 11

some 430,000

Question 12

how many houses had been built by 1957?

Answer 12

over 4 million

Question 13

How much did wages rise by?

Answer 13

rose by 400% between 1949 and 1963

Question 14

What was also available to help with the social problems?

Answer 14

social welfare was widely available with pensions and insurance-based healthcare
improved standard of living

Question 15

What did the improvement in the standard of living do?

Answer 15

dissolved the communist threat & created the popular image of the petty bourgeois

Question 16

What did the petty bourgeois symbolise?

Answer 16

the prosperity of the new state with his cigar, car and new home in a rebuilt city

Question 17

What were the negative impacts of Adenauer’s social policies?

Answer 17

the old elites continued to dominate German society, by the 1960s there were signs of growing resentment at their preponderance, particularly on the part of younger generations born during or after war

Question 18

Although social stability had been achieved, what had not been dealt with?

Answer 18

underlying tensions

Question 19

What were the positive features of West Germany’s social policies?
(9 things)

Answer 19

new legislation in 1950 provided relief for 4.5 million people
‘Equalisation of Burdens Law’
‘Law 131’
the social security system was reinstated + expanded
housing improvements
changes to educational system
increase in wages meant greater availability of consumer goods-mood of optimism
Women’s status in 1950s was advanced in FRG
Trade Unions streamlined & affiliated to one umbrella organisation

Question 20

What did the new legislation in 1950 do?
(positive feature of social policy)

Answer 20

provided relief for 4.5 million people (refugees, POWs + disabled people)
refugees in time provided a continuous supply of qualified + motivated employees

Question 21

When was the ‘Equalisation of Burdens Law’ introduced?

Answer 21

1952

Question 22

What did the ‘Equalisation of Burdens Law’ introduce?

Answer 22

a tax on property and funds not affected by the war and redistributed it to those who had suffered the most

Question 23

What was the positive impact of the ‘Equalisation of Burdens Law’ ?

Answer 23

Adenauer won back the the support of those who had lost their possessions in the war through this Act
also eased social tensions

Question 24

What is a criticism of the ‘Equalisation of Burdens Law’ ?

Answer 24

this did not fundamentally change the old social and economic structures of society

Question 25

What is a criticism of the new legislation in 1950?

Answer 25

millions were in a dire situation after the war
the no of refugees were initially seen as a significant problem - a continual influx from the GDR

Question 26

What did ‘Law 131’ enable?

Answer 26

former Nazi civil servants to regain the jobs they lost during de-Nazification

Question 27

What was the positive impact of ‘Law 131’ ?

Answer 27

it regulated pensions & meant former Nazis were not alienated from the new state
the policies ensured that few felt shame or fear of retribution

Question 28

What is the criticism of ‘Law 131’ ?

Answer 28

it was financially expensive & controversial eg Globke’s appointment was highly disputed

Question 29

Why was Globke’s appointment highly disputed?

Answer 29

he was a Nazi sympathiser who had been dismissed by the Allies at the end of the war & became secretary of state + Adenauer’s right hand man

Question 30

What umbrella organisation were trade unions streamline & affiliated to?

Answer 30

the German Federation of Trade Unions

Question 31

What were the positive impacts of trade unions being streamlined & affiliated to one umbrella organisation?

Answer 31

union activities were coordinated
in working together they became stronger in their negotiations with gov
industrial peace resulted in improved conditions, few strikes + more productive working relations with the gov

Question 32

How many new flats were built from 1949-61?

Answer 32

from 1941-61, 6 million new flats were built
half were social housing or council homes

Question 33

Why did they want educational reform?

Answer 33

because Nazi influence in that area had had such a devasting effect

Question 34

When were the changes to the educational system?

Answer 34

from the mid 1960s

Question 35

How can changes to the educational system be criticised?

Answer 35

by 1949 it had not significantly changed
eg there was a lack of school buildings & appropriate teaching materials
classes were large
many teachers were not properly qualified, little progress in education

Question 36

How was women’s status in the 1950s advanced in the FRG?

Answer 36

Article 3 of the Basic Law

further advancements made for women in the 1950s eg to work without permission from their husbands

Question 37

What did Article 3 of the Basic Law do?

Answer 37

gave women equal rights

Question 38

How can advancements made for women in the FRG be criticised?

Answer 38

the prevailing ethos was still conservative, even patriarchal
Women’s wages were on average 40% lower than men’s
the ‘three K’s’ idea from the 1930s prevailed widely until the mid 1960s

Question 39

What was the positive impact of wages increasing by 400%?

Answer 39

there was a greater availability for consumer goods eg by 1962, 63% of households had a fridge
there was a mood of optimism

Question 40

How can the increase in wages be criticised?

Answer 40

by the mid 1960s, this new prosperity started to show signs of a complacent & smug consumerist society