FRG 1945-89

Question 1

What was the basic law

Answer 1

Basic law of 23rd may 1949 created a liberal democracy with equal rights for all German citizens, freedom of speech and state education available for everyone. Elections in the Bundestag ( parliament ) took place every 4 years and representatives were elected by proportional representation. The Bundestag made laws and decided on the chancellor

Question 2

What was the Bundestag like

Answer 2

Upper house - the Bundesrat included representatives from the local states.
The official head of state was a president elected by the Bundestag and bundesrat

Question 3

What did political parties have to agree to under the basic law

Answer 3

Political parties had to commit to supporting democracy

Question 4

Who was Konrad Adenauer

Answer 4

.Most important politician in the FRG, leader of the Christian Democratic union and was chancellor from 1949-1963.
.He was criticised for being too authoritarian and having too much power over foreign and domestic policy. For example in 1952 the extreme left wing KPD was banned and members stripped of seats in Bundestag. The socialist Reich party was also banned

Question 5

What was the Bundestag like under Adenauer

Answer 5

. Dominated by 3 parties, the CDU , the SPD and the FDP. Adenauer worked with coalition parties until 1957 when the CDU won a majority

Question 6

Why was Adenauer criticised while in power

Answer 6

. He seemed sympathetic to former Nazis who played a role in civil service and judiciary as he thought that was the quickest way to restore normality in government
. He perused a year zero policy which allowed a clean slate for former Nazis after 1945
. After 1951 former Nazis were allowed to work in the civil service, even when this caused a scandal with four former Nazis found working in the foreign ministry
. Adenauer was also criticised for policies which limited free speech including arresting journalists who criticised German government and army in 1962. As a result of the scandal he resigned in 1963

Question 7

What was formed in 1968

Answer 7

.Grand coalition was formed with the CDU , CSU and SPD. In 1968 emergency powers were introduced as a result of extremists including neo-Nazis and students
. Emergency power allowed extra search powers for the police as well as raising tax

Question 8

Who was Willy Brandt and what did he do

Answer 8

. First SPD chancellor of the FRG
. He wanted to work with East Germany to re-establish friendly relations in a policy called Ostpolitik
. Brand also introduced liberal policies like lowering voting age to 18 and decriminalising homosexuality
. Brandt faced opposition on Ostpolitik but still won the vote
. He was forced to resign when one of his key advisors was discovered to be an East German spy.

Question 9

Who was Helmut Schmidt and what did he do

Answer 9

Replaced Brandt as SD leader and chancellor and won elections in 1976 and 1980. He focused on stability, even raising taxes and cutting welfare to balance the budget
. He resigned in 1982

Question 10

Who was Helmut Kohl and what did he do as chancellor

Answer 10

. Became chancellor in 1983
. Leader of the CDU and dealt with corruption scandals and terrorism throughout the 1980s but his government respected stability

Question 11

What kind of opposition was their in the 1960s

Answer 11

. Many young Germans wanted to confront germanys Nazi past and resented the fact that some ex- Nazis still had a role in German government.
. They used the slogan ‘ what did you do in the war daddy ? ‘ to attack the older generation and Adenauer’s year zero policy
. Protest also came as a result of Nuclear weapons being stored by NATO in Germany
. APO was formed after the banning of the KPD and gained some support from students and intellectuals
. Protests about Vietnam

Question 12

Opposition in the 1970s

Answer 12

. Main threats from extreme left-wing or anarchist groups such as Baader-Meinhof gang.
. They attacked German authorities, US army bases and right wing newspapers
. Robbed banks to finance their violence
. Most gang members were caught and jailed by 1975

Question 13

How was control established in the FRG

Answer 13

. BFV set up in 1950 and the BND in 1956 were created to investigate extremism in west Germany
. The emergency law of 1968 rescued open protests but contributed to the growth of more serious terrorist style protests
. From 1970 BEFA system centralised police information and helped to BND investigate extremism

Question 14

What was denazification like in Nazi Germany

Answer 14

.250,000 Germans arrested by the allies in aftermath of WW2 but it was difficult to determine who were deadly nazis
. In May 1946 the allies focused on education and propaganda, banning Nazi schoolbooks and films and sacking Nazi teachers

Indignation- many Germans thought the allies had committed crimes as well and that denazification was victors justice
Avoidance- guilty ex- nazis tried to avoid blame for their crimes
Cynicism - some leading nazis were used by the allies to help with their rocket programme

Question 15

What was consent like in the FRG

Answer 15

.Democracy was well supported
.Number of Germans who believed in the Bundestag doubled from the years 1951-1964
. Peaceful protests against emergency law in 1968 focused on defending democracy
. Liberal Germans marched against authoritarian regimes in other countries
. Many Germans protested against Ostpolitik because it meant working with Soviet Union

Question 16

What was west Germany like after 1949

Answer 16

. Marshall plan bought millions of dollars into the country and set up a new currency the Deutschmark
. Further contributed to the division of Germany as the soviet controlled eastern Germany issued its own currency and created eastern Germany in 1949

Question 17

Who was Ludwig Erhard and what was the reform

Answer 17

. Erhard was economics minister in the FRG from 1949-63
. Believed in a social market economy which would allow a free market for goods
. Rationing was abolished in 1948
. Prices were no longer fixed and wages were only fixed until November 1948
. All of these improved economic confidence

Question 18

What were some downsides of the reform in the FRG

Answer 18

. Some business would not afford to pay higher wages and closed down
. Unemployment rose from 442,000 in June 1948 to 937,000 in January 1949 and 1,8 million in 1950
. However the car industry prospered and by 1959 was 4.5 times bigger than in 1950 and steel production doubled

Question 19

How were workers represented in the new economy

Answer 19

Represented by trade unions and had the right to contribute to management of companies

Question 20

What factors contributed to the economic miracle of 1955-66 ?

Answer 20

. Korean War increased demand for German chemicals, steel and electrical goods, the FRG was also allowed to join NATO in 1955
. Many businesses invested in new equipment in the 1950s. This improved productivity and quality
. Huge number of refugees in Germany provided the workforce to restore the economy. 3.6 million workers left East Germany to move to the FRG
. VW cars became popular amongst allied troops stationed in Germany after the War. By 1960 16,000 VW cars were being exported to the UK every year. By 1960 their were 500 VW shops in the USA and half a million cars sold

Question 21

How did the FRG survive economic challenges 1966-89 ?

Answer 21

. In the recession of 1966-67 trade and productivity fell
. Dramatic rise in oil prices in 1973 and 1978 as a result of problems in the Middle East
. Government tried to reduce oil consumption by promoting car free Sunday and speed limits
. Higher taxes and spending cuts also helped

Question 22

What was the economy like in the 1980s

Answer 22

. Unemployment reached 1.7 million
. The chancellor cut spending, increased privatisation and reduced holidays

Question 23

What were European links like for the FRG

Answer 23

. Signed the treaty of Rome in 1957 to set up the European economic community which created freedom of change between European countries
. Joined NATO in 1955

Question 24

Role of Woman in the FRG

Answer 24

.After the war their were 7.3 million more woman than men in the FRG
. Married woman did not gain full legal property rights or freedom to work without permission from their husbands until the civil code was updated in 1958
. In 1977 marriage and family law gave woman equal rights in marriage
. Their was no real pressure in the FRG to argue for equality in the workplace and many woman still gave up work to get married
. Woman pay was 1/3 lower than men
.

Question 25

Education in the FRG

Answer 25

. Education was free up until secondary school
. University numbers increased from 239,000 in 1960 to 749,000 in 1980
. State funding helped poorer students go to university
. The USA sent 5million textbooks to try and encourage a more US style system
. Issues over What should be taught

Question 26

Cultural and generational issues In the FRG

Answer 26

. Culture and art the Nazis had disapproved of or banned returned to prominence
. . Increase in demand for American culture such as Hollywood films
. Critics believed Germany needed to confront the Nazi era and explore how people were complicit within Hitlers crimes

Question 27

Status of minorities in the FRG

Answer 27

.By 1947 their were 10 million refugees in the FRG
. During the economic boom of the 1950s refugees were vital to the economy
. By 1964 their were 1 million guest workers, and by 1973 2.6 million
. Some hostility towards guest workers in the 1966 recession