Consolidation under Adenauer und Erhard, 1949-65 - Restoring the civil service and government Flashcards
What did many Germans feel Adenauer did regarding the civil service?
many felt espc. young Gs that in his rush to build a federal & regional civil service
= A let too many ex-Nazis into the gov
Why did Adenauer allow so many ex-Nazis into the gov?
in 1939 all gov workers had to join the Nazi party or lose their jobs
A & others argued that letting ex-Nazis work within the system was the only way to rapidly establish an effective civil service
What idea was used/when to allow ex-Nazis to work in the gov?
idea of 1945 as ‘year zero’ and no questions asked was born
- same argument applied to the judiciary
What article was added to the Basic Law that furthered the idea of year zero? + when?
11 May 1951 - Article 131 added to the Basic Law
= officially allowed ex-Nazis to work in the civil service
What did many say about Article 131?
felt it went too far and hinted at Nazi sympathies in the CDU
What/when found ex-Nazis in the gov?
1952 Bundestag report named 4 ex-Nazis working in the foreign ministry
- said could damage FRG’s reputation abroad
What party w what Nazi links won enough seats to be part of the coalition government?
1953 - the League of Expellees party (BHE, led by ex-SS officer Waldemar Kraft)
When did the League of Expellees party break up? + what happened to its members?
broke up in 1954 & many of its own members joined the CDU
When/where else did the FRG struggle with the problem of ex-Nazis?
1955 - when FRG began to establish its own army
- faced similar problems & solved in the same way of accepting ex-Nazis
