FRG: Consolidation Under Adenauer And Erhard 1949-65 Flashcards
What was the Hallstein Dcotrine
Written by Walter Hallstein, undersecretary of state, it hardened west Germanys attitudes towards east.
- Doctrine refused too say east Germany was say legally separate country.
- Didnt accept GDR as lawful government and thus have 0 diplomatic relationships with countries that have them with the soviet zone. Eg. Cutting off Yugoslavia in 1957
Who were Adenauer’s critics and why
- Main critics were the SPD and FDP, who didnt like his authoritarian style and believed he was above the basic law.
- he controlled foreign and domestic policy as both chances and foreign minister
- Critique for appointing week ministers who he treated as advisors and not political equals
What was the benefit of adding Adenauer forceful personality?
Kept coalitions working until 1957, when the CDU one, a majority, for the first time where they remained in the Bundestag as the majority until 1969.
What were Adenauer’s initial policies and why did people critique them?
His goals included uniting Germany and working towards closer European integration
Many pointed out the 2nd point worked against the first as closer ties with west would holdback unification .
SPD were especially critical on the focus on the west, but fathers it seem the fastest route for the FG to become self-governing, and accepted again as part of Europe to rebuild the economy.
How did Adenauer exclude political opposition?
- Excluded opposition, especially left-wing
- 1952 extreme right wing socialist right party was banned in 1956, KPD was declared unconstitutional in the attitude to democratic government
- All KPD members stripped of their seats in Bundastag and party was banned
How did add Adenauer’s exclusion of parties stabilise the government? (At what cost)
Was stabling back resulted in Bundestag that was three party house with shifting coalitions that also supported the status quo
More and more people came to see this as stability that ran counter to the democratic spirit of the basic law
Article 131, and what was reaction?
11 May 1951. The article was added to the basic law allowing X Nazis to work in the civil surface
Many felt this went too far and hinted Nazi sympathies in the CDU. 1952, Bundestag report named 4 exNazis working in the foreign ministry saying it could damage the FRG is reputation abroad
What events in 1961 and 1962, led to Adenauer’s promised to resign in 1963
1961: tried to set up government control TV, as he realised it was going to play a major point in the next elections. But 28th of February, Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional as the executive branch was interfering with the legislative branch
1962: article published, criticising the performance of Western troops in recent NATO exercises. Adenauer supported arrest of the journalist involved.
FDP minister resigned in protest, and he only managed to get an SPD coalition by promising to resign
Who are the two chancellors after 1963 and what were the governments like?
Ludwig Erhard (1963-66) and Kurt Kissinger (1966-69) let newly reformed coalitions with SPD, with more liberal less left-wing policy program, which gained influence
What were the Atlanticists and Gaullists
The CDU was splitting up into these two groups
Atlanticists: what is a carry on working with west, especially USA and Britain
Gaullists: prepared to work with France, but wanted to shift focus to East German cooperation)
