Elections FRG Flashcards
When did the Allies allow the formation of political parties?
1945
By 1939, which 2 parties dominated politics in the FRG?
The CDU and SPD, although initially at least the FDP held the balance of power
What does CDU stand for?
Christian Democrats
What does SPD stand for?
Social Democrats
Who led the CDU?
Adenauer
Who made up the CDU?
conservative Christians who had previously been members of the Catholic Centre or Protestant parties
What were the main beliefs of the CDU?
the upholding of capitalism + competition
support for the vulnerable in society
preservation of the welfare state
support for the Ahlen Programme
Who supported the SPD?
the workers
What was the main belief of the SPD?
in social justice, but combined with individual freedom
Why was the domination of the CDU and SPD a good thing?
it helped to prevent the system from being threatened by the same problems the Weimar Republic faced, where no single party was strong enough to form a stable gov
How did Adenauer make opposition disappear?
he was able to exploit splits within many parties & absorbed some of the right-wing parties into the CDU
How was political stability made easier?
opposition gradually disappeared
Why did Adenauer’s position look less strong in 1949?
CDU won just 31% of the vote, so he was only able to form a gov after weeks of negotiations with other parties
as a result, gov included members of FDP + other small parties who were given ministerial
What helped the CDU to increase their vote in 1953?
successful economic + foreign policies
but maintained coalition
When was there a decline in Adenauer’s popularity?
1961
recognition that at 85 he was starting to lose control as CDU’s vote slipped
