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History > Democracy and Dictatorships- Divided Germany: The Federal Republic and the DDR 1949–1963 > Flashcards

Democracy and Dictatorships- Divided Germany: The Federal Republic and the DDR 1949–1963 Flashcards

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1
Q

Creation of West Germany

A

May 1949, Trizonia

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2
Q

GDR and FDR

A

Deutsche Demokratische Republik = East Germany

German Democratic Republic = East Germany

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3
Q

BRD and FRG

A

FRG and BRD
Federal Republic of Germany = West Germany
Bundesrepublik Deutscheland = West Germany

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4
Q

Features of The Basic Law and Constitution of West Germany

A
  • Small parties couldn’t get into power due to 5% needed to be represented;
  • Extremist parties banned;
  • Chancellor appointed by President with parliamentary approval;
    Representative democracy- first past the post and proportional representation -> System doesn’t allow for extremists;
  • All Germans living in former German lands were allowed citizenship. All those under soviet or polish rule were able to move to West.
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5
Q

Why was it not a permanent constitution?

A

Law was temporary until Germany was united- committed Germany to work for unity.

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6
Q

Konrad Adenauer

A

Leader of the Christian Democratic Union Party

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7
Q

Adenauer’s Aims

A
  • Western integration
  • The reunification of Germany only as a Western Capitalist state
  • Economic and Social stability
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8
Q

Why was there an Economic Miracle (1952-63)? - Existing West advantages

A
  • Possessed large quantities of raw materials- coal and irons
  • Didn’t suffer the loss of resources taken in reparations that the USSR inflicted on the East.
  • Arrival of Refugees -> regular supply of labour
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9
Q

EM? - Policies in Bizonia 1947-49

A
  • Removal of price controls, currency reform in 1948 stimulated business activity
  • Removing wage controls -> less strikes and created a sense of ownership in the trade unions -> Co-determination law 1951, Works constitution Law 1952 -> Currency reform ended black market and reduced inflation
  • Industrial production 51% June 1948 -> 78% December
    LIMITATIONS- rise in prices not in wages, shortage of resources- caused a balance of payment deficit, recession ‘49-50
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10
Q

EM? - Ludwig Erhard and the ‘Social Market Economy’

A
  • Social Market Economy - State regulations ended, free economy
  • Social justice and security -> ‘Prosperity for all’
    New currency provided stability
    LIMITATIONS- 1950 insufficient demand and lack of foreign investment, difficult to sustain growth
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11
Q

EM? - Marshall Aid

A
  • Benefited from aid, used to rebuild industry and stimulate the economy
    LIMITATIONS- Oct ‘54 aid totalled only $2 bil US Dollars, in 1948-49- less than 5% of W. German national income
  • Role as stimulus for economy overestimated
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12
Q

EM? - Korean War

A
  • Increased demands for good that the Ruhr could supply- reduced pressure on Erhard to abandon SME
  • W. Germany able to take advantage of the inability of other nations to supply war materials needed- exports doubled
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13
Q

EM? - Industrial relations

A
  • Rise in wages-> improvement in industrial relations lasted through 50s into 60s
  • Workers had more disposable income available
  • As living standards rose there was little reason to challenge the system and this also helped to create political stability - helped economy
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14
Q

EM? - Government stability (provided by Adenauer)

A
  • Bundesbank 1957 provided political stability, controlling both money in circulation and interest rates-> inflation controlled, helped sustain recovery in second half of 1950s into 60s
  • W. Germany didn’t have to pay extensive reps and defence cost limited- no army till NATO 1955
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15
Q

Adenauer Foreign Policy

A
  • To create better relations with other nations, especially Europe and France
  • Protection and security from USA
  • More freedom/sovereignty to make own decisions
  • United reunified Germany must be capitalist and democratic, not neutral as fear domination of USSR
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16
Q

Hallstein Doctrine

A

The belief that W. Germany shouldn’t recognise East Germany or have diplomatic relations with other states (except USSR) that continued to recognise it.
- Continued until 1969

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17
Q

Germany joins Council of Europe

A

1950- International organisation created in ‘49 to promote cooperation on legal standards, human rights and democratic values
- Improved Western relations, showed FRG distancing itself from GDR

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18
Q

W. Germany joins the European Coal and Steel Community

A

April 1951- Created by France as a supranational organisation to oversee German and French steel and coal production
- Allowed FRG to be treated as equal partner to France and helped trust to grow between the two.

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19
Q

Korean War

A
  • Outbreak of war heightened fear of communism and made USA urge Europe to make greater contribution to own defence
  • > EUROPEAN DEFENCE COMMUNITY set up under French control as idea of German rearmament was taken warily
  • > weakened relations
  • Germany couldn’t take part in war as not allowed an army
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20
Q

West Germany joins NATO and army created

A

1955- German NATO army created

- Improved Germany’s Western relations as showed they were a trusted nation

21
Q

Adenauer visits Moscow and POWs return from USSR

A

1955- Visited Moscow and secured release of POW which won him support- didn’t sign deal
- Improved FRG’s Western relations -> communicate with USSR

22
Q

Plebiscite (vote) reincorporates Saar into W. Germany

A

1955- Gave pop of Saar a vote 68% rejected terms, but 2/3 of Saar parliament wanted to reunify with West

  • France and Germany negotiated to return Saar to FRG in ‘57
  • Showed France trusted
23
Q

West Germany signs the Treaty of Rome and joins European Economic Community

A

1957- customs union set out to harmonise trade and prices in agriculture
- Reassured France as Adenauer accepted division of Germany and made it clear FRG wouldn’t take independent steps to unity

24
Q

West Germany joins European Atomic Energy Community

A

1957- EURATOM

- Showed trust to allow them to use atomic energy, which could be turned into bombs

25
Q

Walter Ulbricht, SED

A

Leader of East Germany, Socialist Unity Party

26
Q

How did Ulbricht achieve control?

A
  • Stasi (State security service) 1950 -> regular police, border guards and also spys
  • Democratic Centralism -> decisions at centre and passed down
  • Volkskammer (Parliament) -> seats allocated before election -> SED guaranteed seats
  • Lander replaced by Bezirke- smaller units, easier to control
27
Q

East German Revolt

A

16th June 1953

28
Q

Stalin’s death

A

March 1953

29
Q

Why did the workers revolt in ‘53?

A
  • Stalin’s death gave possibility for freedom with the New Course and so the workers were encouraged to take action and push boundaries.
  • 1952 announcement ‘Building up Socialism’ put pressure to increase productivity. 10% rise in productivity, wages remain same in early June ‘53.
30
Q

Strikers’ demands

A
  • An end to increased work
  • Ulbricht’s removal and end to his economic policies
  • Democratic elections
31
Q

4 Consequences of the riots

A
  • Ulbricht’s position strengthened -> proved USSR backed him entirely, not giving in to rioters
  • Increase in power of Stasi
  • Policy on increased working hours ended, more consumer goods to improve living conditions
  • Made clear West weren’t going to help
32
Q

How did life change in GDR for WOMEN? - SED Aims

A
  • Female emancipation was seen as an essential feature of socialist ideology
  • > 1949 constitution ‘Men and Women are equal before the law’
33
Q

How did life change in GDR for WOMEN? - how SED tried to achieve aims

A
  • Increase employment of female labour

- State offered financial support for working mothers and improved health care

34
Q

How did life change in GDR for WOMEN? - successes and failures of SED

A

+ Pregnant and nursing mothers enjoyed additional rations before 1958 -> then child benefit payments introduced
+ Female students at uni 1953 -> 20%, 1961 25%; Increased slowly but by 1980 half students were women
+ 1966 Family Law - state help, protection, equality
- Many mothers were working in unskilled, low paid jobs, not looking after children
- Abortion strictly limited until 1972
- Many women joined workforce for economic necessity rather than because of equal opportunity

35
Q

How did life change in GDR for CHRISTIANS? - SED Aims

A
  • SED wanted to remove Religion while still appearing tolerant of religious freedom -> gradual disappearance
36
Q

How did life change in GDR for CHRISTIANS? - how SED tried to achieve aims

A
  • Religious education was abolished in all schools and gradually the curriculum was replaced by Marxist-Leninist ideology
  • Religious matters ignored by media
  • No financial support -> difficult to maintain buildings
  • > Governmental Department for Ecclesiastical Affairs
37
Q

How did life change in GDR for CHRISTIANS? - successes and failures of SED

A

+ Over 50 clergymen and youth leaders were arrested and a Christian youth organisation, the Young Congregation was defined as anti-socialist 1952-53
+ Careers and promotions blocked for Christians
+ 1955 Jughendweihe - pledge to socialism and GDR -> atheist initiation ceremony
- In 1950 80% of population were Protestants and 10% Catholic

38
Q

How did life change in GDR for YOUNG PEOPLE? - SED Aims

A
  • Cleansing them from racist militarism and reactionary forces
  • Build new socialist society: children equal opportunity, establish strong commitment to socialism, extend technical and practical skills-> linking theory and practice to modern industry
39
Q

How did life change in GDR for YOUNG PEOPLE? - how SED tried to achieve aims

A

80% of teachers dismissed and emergency teacher training organised

  • Law for Democratisation of German Schools 1946- abolish private and religious schools; centralised curriculum; abolish of selective schools- created Polytechnic Upper Schools
  • Youth Groups: FDJ (14-25, ‘46), JP (10-14 ‘48), JP (6-10 ‘48)
40
Q

How did life change in GDR for YOUNG PEOPLE? - successes and failures of SED

A

+ Werdau school pupils openly protested against first election of Volksammer- prison sentences 2-15yrs
+ Spent 7% on education vs 5% of West
+ 1951-58 Uni’s 21->46, students doubled 60,000
+ Youth organisations FDJ ‘46, age 14-25 -> not compulsory but by 1950 over 3 mil members
- Double life- 1960 many E. Germans tried to copy Western lifestyle -> SED set up radio DT64 (?), played 40% Western artists
- People overqualified but in low paying jobs
= Benefit- FDJ did have lots to offer- activities

41
Q

The Seven Year Plan 1959 - what, successes, failures

A

Aim to align economic development with USSR, ‘61 built wall to stabilise work force
+ NOSPL brought greater flexibility and offered workers input-> share profits-> raised production levels
+ E. Germany ranked tenth in the world for economic production, by the early 1960s
- Industrial growth declined- increase no. of people leaving the East
- 1962 plan abandoned-> 1963 intoduced NOSPL

42
Q

Collectivisation of Agriculture - what, successes, failures

A

Aim to build a socialist and fair system of agriculture, No individually owned farms- all replaced with LPGs
+ 1962 85% of farms collected
+ By 1970s East German farms more efficient than parts of Eastern/Western Europe
- 13% of farms abandoned, emigrated to West
- Contributed to food shortage-> 1953 revolt-> 1961 reintroduction of rationing
- Slow process-> 1958 1/3 farms collectivised

43
Q

Berlin Wall Built - When

A

12th August 1961

October 27th 1961 - 18hr standoff between US and Soviet tanks

44
Q

Berlin Wall Built - Why

A
  • U-2 crisis, US spy shot down, angers Khrushchev-> ultimatum-> don’t want nuclear war
  • Collectivisation -> 1961 reintroduction of rationing
  • 7 yr plan too ambitious, economy slows
  • > causes Refugees - 1953 331,000 -> 1961 207,000 ‘Brain Drain’
  • > economic miracle in W. Germany, attracts E.
45
Q

Berlin Wall Built - Consequences

A
  • Nuclear war less likely
  • Adenauer’s instance to only accept German unification on his terms (magnet theory) thrown-> shock and frustration for FRG
  • GDR- politically a success; achieved its aims-> refugees dropped, stabilised country
  • > reinforced failure of the GDR pre- 1961
46
Q

Berlin Wall Built - Consequences

A
  • Nuclear war less likely
  • Adenauer’s instance to only accept German unification on his terms (magnet theory) thrown-> shock and frustration for FRG
  • GDR- politically a success; achieved its aims-> refugees dropped, stabilised country
  • > reinforced failure of the GDR pre- 1961
47
Q

Spiegel Affair

FINISH

A
  • 1962
  • Political scandal, article in ‘Der Spiegel’ (W. Germany’s weekly political magazine) about the nation’s defence forces
  • Conflict between Franz Josef Strauss (Federal minister of defence) and Rudolf Augstein (owner and editor)
  • Impact- Adenauer formed new coalition with FDP, Dec ‘62
48
Q

Adenauer Elections

A

1949, ‘53 - CDU largest party, coalition with FDP
1957 - CDU win absolute majority of seats in Bundestag
1959 - A offered opportunity to run for President, refused- less power than Chancellor
1961 - CDU most votes but +FDP coalition

History (13 decks)

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