Consolidation under Adenauer and Erhard, 1949 - 66 Flashcards
1
Q
Who is Adenauer?
A
Konrad Adenauer, a former Centre Party mayor of Cologne and President of the Prussian state council.
- Imprisoned by Nazis
- Instrumental in the establishment and development of the CDU and became its first leader
- In the first West German Bundestag elections of August 1949, CDU emerged as the strongest party - support of right-wing free democrats.
- 73-year old Adenauer chosen by the Bundestag to be the first Chancellor of post-War Germany.
- In power, Adenauer dominated government and pursued certain policies vigorously.
2
Q
Why did Adenauer use the policy of Integration, not denazification?
A
- He denounced denazification policies and launched a policy by which former Nazis were to be integrated in post-war Germany.
- Argued this was necessary to build a unified and harmonious country.
- When his state secretary, Hans Globke, was revealed to have been involved in drafting anti-Semitic laws in Nazi Germany, Adenauer refused to sack him.
- He called upon allies to commute the sentences of those convicted of war crimes.
3
Q
What was Adenauer’s policy of restitution?
A
- He believed that germany needed to make amends to the Jewish people for Nazi crimes against them
- Supported formation of the Claims Conference for Jewish victims of Nazism
- Payment of large reparations to Israel, as the representative of the Jewish people.
- This payment of 3 billion Deutschmarks to Israel was pushed by Adenauer with SPD support.
- In the face of opposition from many German people and many in the CDU.
- German restitution laws passed in 1953, limited in their scope.
4
Q
What was included in the western-oriented foreign policy?
A
- Adenauer believed that the future of Germany lay with a Western-oriented (that is, US and french-oriented) foreign policy
- He rejected Stalin’s overtures about the possibility of creating an independent and non-aligned unified German state in 1952.
- Pushed for Germany’s membership of US-dominated security alliance NATO - attained in 1955 in return for various German pledges committing to limiting their future military capabilities.
- Adenauer instrumental in degree of unity with France through creation of European Coal and Steel Community
5
Q
Construction of the Berlin Wall
A
- Construction of the Berlin Wall was started in August 1961 by the East German government to separate the Communist eastern part of the city from the west
- the East German government claimed its construction was to prevent infiltration in East Germany, but the primary reason was to stop emigration from east to west.
- The wall came to symbolize divided Germany
6
Q
What was the social market economy?
A
- Adenauer and Economics Minister Ludwig Erhard pursued a mixed economic model, combining capitalism with social welfare.
- Helped create social harmony, along with strong economic growth of the post-1950 era.
- Helped to create legitimacy and stability in the FRG
7
Q
Later years
A
- Success in assuring return of final 10,000 prisoners of war held by the Soviet Union
- Adenauer’s CDU won a strong victory in the 1957 election
- Supported European Economic Community (EEC) => strengthened links with France
- Adenauer stepped down from power in 1963 after a scandal implicating the government repressive practices, and died in 1967 at the age of 91
8
Q
Who was the new Chancellor?
A
Ludwig Erhard, 1963-66
- had been highly successful Economics minister under Adenauer
- prior to that Director of Economics for the British and American occupied zones
- he became chancellor in 1963
- Erhard unsuccessfully pursued German reunification, and resigned following budgetary difficulties in 1966
