Creation of the Federal Republic of Germany (1) Flashcards
Creation of the Federal Republic of Germany after the end of WW2
- Ended with a carefully orchestrated take over Berlin, signing Germany’s surrender on 7th May 1945 with the Allies taking joint control of Germany’s govt.
- Broad consensus in restoring ‘democracy’ but disagreed over what it was and how it should be implemented.
- Postdam Conference = planned German reconstruction. Divided into four zones to be run by the USSR, France, USA and Britain with Berlin (Soviet) also split into four zones.
- Established the Allied Control Council to make decisions across the zones and keep Germany intact for reunification.
- However, the differences between the Allies, especially ideological with communist USSR hindered cooperation as they grew suspicious of each other.
Creating FRG (1945-49)
Setting up political parties
Set up from early June 1945; many in Berlin to allow communication across the zones. However, from the start there were different leaders in the Soviet Union and Western Allied Zones.
Creating FRG (1945-49)
Setting up political parties - KPD
- First party formed on June 11th.
- No aim of creating a soviet-style system, stressing German socialism rather than capitalism.
- Promoted land reform, new education system and democratic govt, accepted Allied plans for reconstruction.
Creating FRG (1945-49)
Setting up political parties - SPD
- Re-formed on 15th June.
- Members was in concentration camps under Nazi rule - held a moral advantage and used it to urge the Allies to allow Germans a greater say in the establishment of their government.
- Radical policies - nationalisation of banks, land and key industries and significant social welfare systems were to be provided according to their proposals.
Creating FRG (1945-49)
Setting up political parties - Church-based parties
+ Centre Party failed to establish themselves. However, two significant church-based groups established in 1945 - Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union of Bavaria.
- Many smaller faith-based parties formed with a sense of relief that faith was no longer regarded as suspect by the government.
- Shared a Christian outlook but they had other aims, although social support for the poor was common.
Creating FRG (1945-49)
Setting up political parties - Liberal groups
- Learnt from the Weimar Govt that having a large number of parties with similar aims. To end this, faith-based and liberal parties in the Western zones negotiated to create single parties.
- In 1947, the liberal groups formed the Free Democracy Party, while most-faith based groups (excluding the CSU) joined the CDU in 1949.
- Campaigned in western half of a now divided nation.
Creating the FRG
A permanent division
- USSR-West relations became the Cold War - mutual antagonism wasn’t helped as countries occupied by the USSR in its march to Berlin rapidly became communist (e.g Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary and Poland from 1945-47).
- USA responded by the Marshall Plan to give economic help to European countries that might otherwise take Soviet help and become communist (Turkey and Greece).
- Tension showed itself as the formation of parties followed a different pattern in East and West Germany: KPD and SPD formed the Socialist Unity Party in April 1946 which became the most significant party in the Soviet zone, while West retained the party system.
Creating the FRG
Steps to separation
- Given their political differences, it’s possible that the Allies could never have agreed a single system of govt for all Germany - saw it as a country to be dismantled to make it politically powerless and a buffer zone between Communist East and the Capitalist West.
- Most evident steps to separation were taken by the West Allies but they claimed the Soviets were moving too slowly, or being obstructive. Demonstrated in the Oct Election, for the communists won in the Soviet zone but did badly in the other zones.
Key events of worsening Allied relations
29th May 1947
20th March 1948
20th June + 23rd June 1948
1st September 1948
May 1947 = USA/UK form Bizonia
March 1948 = USSR leaves the Allied Control Council
20th and 23rd June = Bizonia announces currency DM and Soviet responded by announcing the Ostmark.
Sept 1948 = Parliamentary Council set up to draw up the constitution (Basic Law) for a new country, West Germany - composed of all parts of Germany not in the Soviet zone.
Key dates of worsening Allied relations 1949
The Formation of Two Republics
22 May 1949 = West zones become FRG
7 October 1949 = Soviet zone becomes GDR.
The new FRG and its constitution
- Ratified by the parliaments of more than 2/3 of the Lander - outlined a very free and liberal democracy, while allowing it could be rewritten upon Germany’s reunion.
- Groups no longer had a significant power bases from which to oppose govt.
- Promised: Equal rights to Germans, regardless of sex, political views and religion. Free speech, freedom to form unions and no censorship. A state education for all. Included repressive ones like banning parties if they undermined the FRG and democracy.
Elections to the Budenstag
- Elections - August 1949 and it first met in Sept 1949.
- The need for coalition govts had not been avoided, even with the combination of faith parties and the liberals before, with small parties taking enough of the vote to ensure there was no majority.
- CDU/CSU won 31%, while the SPD won 29.2% and FDP/Lib won 11.9%. So, the first leader was Adenauer (CDU) and the Soviet responded with GDR and SED won.
- Neither republic ruled out unification but separate govts with diff parties and constitutions meant the situation grew difficult to overturn.
Consolidation under Adenauer and Erhard 1949-65
How far did Adenauer create a stable political base for the FRG?
- ‘Father of modern Germany’ - the Chancellor when West Germany emerged from Western control from 1549-1963.
- SPD and FDP objected to his authoritarian style and forceful management of the Budenstag - called his leadership a ‘Chancellor democracy’, suggesting he had more power than allowed, controlling domestic and foreign policy.
- Critised for appointing weak ministers (Erhard was an exception) - treated them as advisers, not political equals.
- Forceful personality - kept coalitions working until 1957 when the CDU/CSU won a majority for the first time = remained majority until 1569.
Consolidation under Adenauer and Erhard 1949-65
Adenauer’s policy
- 20th Sept 1949 = set out policy agenda, focusing on domestic economy and foreign policy - main goals to unite Germany and working for closer European integration.
- SPD criticised the West focus but others felt it was the fasted route for the FRG to be self-governing, accepted in Europe and rebuild the economy.
- Noticing that economic problems led to political ones - he worked to exclude political opposition, especially left-wing, reminding people of Nazi policy in 1933.
- Changed vote allocations in 1953 to make it harder for small parties to get a seat - changed further in 1957.
- 1953 = banned the right-wing Socialist Reich Party and declared the KPD unconstitutional in their attitude to the democratic govt in 1952 - stripped all KPD member of their seats and banned.
- Stabilising but it resulted in a three-party Bundenstag, with shifting coalitions that supported the status quo = countered the Basic Law’s democratic spirit.
Consolidation under Adenauer and Erhard 1949-65
Restoring the civil service and government
- Angered many, especially the youths by allowing too many ex-Nazis to work into the govt = A responded that allowing them to work within the democratic system was the quickest way to move on and the only way to establish an effective civil service (1945 was year zero).
- Added this to the Basic Law in May 1951 - felt this went too far and hinted at Nazi sympathies in the CDU as it could harm the FRG’s position abroad.
- Moves against political opponents was questionable = worked to limit freedom of speech which appeared to shift away from democracy (voiced by SPD/Germans).
- Tried to set up a govt-controlled TV station, noticing it would play a major part in the next election campaigns = Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional on the 28th Feb as the executive branch was interfering with the legislative branch.
- Worsened by Adenauer ordering the arrest of journalists who published an article criticising the West German troop’s performance in recent NATO exercises = FDP ministers resigned and Adenauer only managed to get a SPD coalition by promising his resignation in 1963.
