FRG government

Question 1

What did the Yalta Conference (Feb 1945) determine?

Answer 1

Germany would be divided into 4 military zones between the USA, USSR, Great Britain and France.

It was agreed that these occupational zones would be administered by each of the Allies.

Agreed that an Allied control Council representing all 4 powers would be established.

Question 2

What was agreed at the Potsdam Conference (July-Aug 1945)?

Answer 2

• De-Nazification
• Demilitarisation
• Deindustrialisation
• Democratisation

Idea of military zones of occupation was approved with Berlin being sub-divided.
- Each country would take reparations from their own zones
- The USA and Britain would give the USSR 10% of industrial machinery from their zones and another 15% in return for food and raw materials from the Soviet zone.

Question 3

What was De-Nazification?

Answer 3

Former Nazi leaders being brought to justice in post-war trials. (E.g Nuremberg Trials)

Question 4

What was Demilitarisation?

Answer 4

Military reductions ensuring that Germany could never wage aggressive wars again.

Question 5

What was Deindustrialisation?

Answer 5

Large German industrial concerns would be dismantled, partly to keep Germany weak but also to ship materials to the USSR to help pay for reparations.

Question 6

What was Democratisation?

Answer 6

Agreed that Germany should be prepared for democracy

Question 7

What was Bizonia?

Answer 7

The merging of the USA and British zones - they merged in order to help Germany recover economically.

Question 8

When the French merged their zone to Bizonia, what was it then called (1949)?

Answer 8

Trizonia

Question 9

What did the merging of the western zones mean?

Answer 9

Political unification was more likely as well as the possibility of 2 distinct Germanies, one capitalist and western, the other communist, dominated by the USSR.

Question 10

How was the co-operation between the Russians and the Western Powers beginning to break down in the Allied Control Council?

Answer 10

• The US zone suspended reparation payments to the USSR (May 1946) in retaliation for the Russians’ refusal to deliver foodstuffs.
• Disputes about the distribution of coal across the 4 zones
• Communist takeover in Czechoslovakia in 1948
• Treaty of Brussels (1948) - military alliance of the Western European Union
• Russian representative walked out of the ACC over plans to introduce the Deutschmark into the 3 western zones as he disagreed with the Western powers’ desire to divide Germany.

Question 11

What was the Marshall Aid (1947)?

Answer 11

Financial support for Europe to aid its recovery post-war.

Question 12

How did the USSR retaliate against the introduction of the Deutschmark in the western zones?

Answer 12

Introducing a currency of their own, the Ostmark.

Question 13

How did Stalin initiate the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 13

He ordered electricity supplies, which were generated in the east, to be cut off to the west and all land and canal routes from the western zones to west Berlin were blocked.

Question 14

How did Stalin expect the western zones to react to the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 14

By either facing the alternatives of starvation or agreeing to join the USSR zone.

Question 15

How did the western zones react?

Answer 15

By organising an airlift, flying 4,461 tons of supplies in everyday.

Question 16

What was the total amount of supplies flown into Berlin by the Allies?

Answer 16

2,325,808

Question 17

When did Stalin call off the Berlin Blockade?

Answer 17

May 1949

Question 18

What political parties began to emerge in the western zones?

Answer 18

• CDU/CSU (Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union) led by Adenauer, centre-right.
• The SPD led by Kurt Schumacher, socialist agenda mixed with elements of nationalism.
• FDP (Free Democratic Party), liberal

Question 19

When was the Basic Law created?

Answer 19

May 1949

Question 20

Why was the Basic Law created?

Answer 20

To give the new state of West Germany a constitution and ensure it remained democratic and stable.

Question 21

What state was created out of the Soviet zone in October 1949?

Answer 21

Communist GDR

Question 22

What did the FRG refuse to recognise?

Answer 22

The GDR, they insisted that it spoke for the whole of Germany.

Question 23

Why was the FRG not a fully independent state in 1949?

Answer 23

It was under the Occupation Statute (Sept 1949) which gave Allied High Commission the power to veto legislation. They also reserved the right to take over the government if democracy was at risk.

Question 24

What did the Basic Law’s first article assert as the government’s 1st priority?

Answer 24

The protection of human rights and dignity

Question 25

How was the Bundestag elected?

Answer 25

Universal suffrage - 1/2 the seats were directly elected and 1/2 was taken from proportional representation (based on the % of votes each party received).

Question 26

How did the structure of government ensure that extremist parties couldn’t re-emerge?

Answer 26

5% rule - parties receiving less than 5% of the votes cast could not take any seats in the Bundestag.

Question 27

What was empowered to uphold the law and ensure that government acted legally?

Answer 27

A federal constitutional court

Question 28

Who remained the most important politician in the new constitution?

Answer 28

The Chancellor - could not be removed by a vote of no-confidence unless an alternative party was ready to take power with sufficient support to form a majority in the Bundestag.

Question 29

How was the role of President reduced of its power?

Answer 29

• Could only be elected for 1-term only
• Fulfilled a ceremonial role with little political responsibility

Question 30

Who became the 1st Chancellor of the FRG following the August 1949 elections?

Answer 30

Adenauer of the CDU/CSU

Question 31

What challenges did the new government face?

Answer 31

• Recovering from the destruction of WW2
• Dealing with large numbers of refugees from the GDR
• Establishing the FRG as a stable democracy
• Establishing the future of Germany as a whole
• Assert its right to self-governance and full independence