Creation of the FRG (for Germany i am idiot) Flashcards

1
Q

when was the Potsdam Conference?

A

17 July 1945

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2
Q

what was discussed at the Potsdam Conference?

A
  • plan for German reconstruction
  • splitting of Germany into 4 zones
  • splitting of Berlin into 4 zones
  • setting up of the Allied Control Council
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3
Q

when was the FRG officially created?

A

May 1949

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4
Q

what were the 3 zones in the FRG in 1945?

A

British Zone
French Zone
American Zone

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5
Q

what were the aims of the KPD in the FRG?

A
  • wanted German socialism
  • land reform
  • new education system
  • a democratic government
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6
Q

when did the SPD re-form?

A

15 June 1945

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7
Q

what were the aims of the reformed SPD?

A
  • wanted to include the Allies in reconstruction plans
  • nationalisation of banks and key industries
  • social welfare system

was more radical than the KPD

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8
Q

what were the 2 Christian parties?

A

the CDU
Christian Democratic Union

the CSU
Christian Social Union of Bavaria

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9
Q

what was the biggest shared aim of the Christian parties?

A

social support for the poorest

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10
Q

why did the faith-based and Liberal parties combine with each other?

A

they realised that their support would increase if the voters voted for one party instead of their votes being spread out

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11
Q

what did the faith-based parties merge into and when?

A

in 1949 the CDU was the Christian Party

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12
Q

what did the Liberal parties merge into?

A

the FDP

Free Democracy Party

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13
Q

why was the Marshall Plan set up by the West?

A

to give economic support to European countries that were at the threat of being under the Soviet sphere of influence

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14
Q

what did the Allies view Germany as?

A

a buffer zone to the Soviets which should remain politically powerless

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15
Q

what was the Basic Law?

A

the constitution of West Germany

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16
Q

when was the Basic Law ratified?

A

23 May 1949

17
Q

what did the Basic Law promise?

A
  • equal rights to all German citizens
  • free speech and freedom to form unions
  • no censorship
  • state education for all
18
Q

what does Article 20 of the Basic Law state?

A

that the FRG is a democratic social federal state

19
Q

what does Article 21 of the Basic Law state?

A

that political parties must publicly account for their actions

any party which seek to undermine the free democratic order or endanger the FRG is unconstitutional…

20
Q

what did Article 21 allow courts to do?

A

gave them the ability to ban extremist parties

21
Q

when was the 5% rule introduced?

A

in 1953

22
Q

what did the 5% rule mean?

A

any party which achieves less than 5% of the vote was barred from parliament

this stops any small extremist parties trying to get a foothold in the Bundestag

23
Q

why did the Communist Party do bad in elections?

A

because West Germans did not like the Soviets and therefore this dislike branched to communism

24
Q

what happened to the Communist Party in 1956?

A

it was banned by the Constitution Court:

both for getting less than 5% of the vote and because of Article 21 for being an extremist party

25
Q

after how many years is a new President elected in the FRG?

A

every 5 years

26
Q

what was the election system in the FRG?

A

proportional representation