FRG - How did Adenauer create political stability in West Germany? Flashcards

1
Q
A
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2
Q

What political problems faced Adenaur’s government in 1949

A
  • The FRG was still under the control of the Occupation Statute & did not have sovereignty
  • the allies still had to approve many aspects of government
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3
Q

What economic problems faced Adenaur’s government in 1949

A
  • Despite currency reform,
  • the economy still faced difficulties & went into recession in 1940-50
  • prices were rising, despite unemployment rising to 13%
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4
Q

What were Adenaur’s aims

A
  • Economic
  • Social
  • Western Integration
  • The German Question
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5
Q

Explain Adenaur’s aim of sorting out Germany (The German Question)

A
  • He believed that reunifying the Federal Repubic of Germany & the DDR had to be on the terms of ensuring a Western Capitalist - oriented state
  • He did not want to make concessions to communism
  • With Western support he believed West Germany could attract East Germans - magnet theory (brain drain)
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6
Q

Explain Adenaur’s aim of Western Integration

A
  • Like most West Germans Adenauer mistrusted & feared the Soviets & therefore wanted protectionvfrom the West
  • He wanted to revive the restrictions of the Occupational Statute & become a strong economic partner of the West
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7
Q

Explain Adenaur’s social aims

A
  • he wanted the poor & refugees to be helped by social legislation, industrial peace & a growth in living standards
  • hopefully this would then counter the threat of communism
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8
Q

Explain Adenaur’s economic policy

A
  • he wanted to create ecnomic stability using a ‘social market’ policy
  • this aimed to create a free market with limited social regulations by the state
    this became known as the economic miracle
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9
Q

Instability

He was criticised for ………………………. whom he treated as mere advisers

A
  • appointing weak ministers
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10
Q

Instability

His leadership was known as a ……………….. suggesting he had more power than the ………… allowed

A
  • Chancellor democracy
  • Basic Law
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11
Q

Instability

His critics in the SPD and FDP objected to his…

A
  • authoritarian style & forceful management of the Bundestag and his Atlantacist approach (ties with the West)
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12
Q

Instability

Adenauer denounced …., preferring to….
This was known as a …..
He allowed too many…..

A
  • denazification
  • integrate ex Nazis into post-war Germany
  • Year Zero approach
  • ex-Nazis into his govt in his haste to build a Federal and regional civil service
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13
Q

Instability

Why did Adenaur not promote de-nazification

A
  • In 1939 all government workers had to join the Nazis or lose their jobs and so Adenauer argued that it was fair to employ ex-Nazis and the only way to establish an effective civil service
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14
Q

Instability

What was introduced on 11th May 1951

A

Article 131 was added to the Basic Law, allowing ex-Nazis to work in the civil service

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15
Q

Instability

How can it be perceived that Adenauers employment of ex-Nazis went to far

A
  • Many argued it showed sympathy with Nazis in the CDU
  • e.g 1952 - Bundestag report named 4 ex-Nazis working in the foreign ministry - could damage the FRG’s reputation abroad
  • Refusal to sack state secretary Hans Globke - drafted anti-semitic laws.
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16
Q

Instability

What opposition arose against the Hallstein Doctrine

A
  • In 1956 the FDP broke away from Adenauer’s coaltion and supported the SPD, who openly criticised it
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17
Q

Instability

In February 1961 the Supreme Court ruled in …. when Adenauer tried to set up …….
showing ……. for Adenauer’s decisions (too much executive interference)

A
  • unconstitutional
  • a government controlled television station
  • showing lack of support
18
Q

Instability

Adenauer worked to …….. in a way that caused concern (especially amongst the ….. members) about a shift away from democracy and the Basic Law

A
  • limit freedom of speech
  • SPD
19
Q

Instability

The CDU vote fell from:
….% in 1957 to ….% in 1961

A
  • 50
  • 46
20
Q

Instability

How was the SPD modernising by the late 1950s

A
  • became a viable alternative to the CDU
  • focusing on German reunification
21
Q

Instability

What was Adenauer like by 1961

A
  • Adenauer was in his eighties and his political judgement seemed to be in decline
22
Q

Instability

How did Adenaur manage to get an SPD coalition

A
  • by promising to resign in 1963
23
Q

Instability

Describe Adenauer’s terms in office

A
  • Adenauer had 3 terms in office:
  • the first three were successful
  • but the last one saw problems emerging
24
Q

Stability

Adenaur’s political moves (removing parties/changes in vote allocations) was stabilising but resulted in a……
Some saw this as a stability that went against the …….. of basic law

A
  • three party house with shifting coalitions
  • democratic spirit
25
Q

Stability

The benefit of his ….. personality was that he kept FRG …….. working together ……

A
  • forceful
  • coalitions
  • until 1957 when the CDU/CSU won a majority
26
Q

Stability

In domestic and foreign policy, Adenauer wanted …..&….. , although members of the SPD argued that focus on the West would stop Germany becoming united

A
  • to unite Germany & work for closer European integration
27
Q

Stability

Which political parties were formed

A
  • 1952 the extreme right-wing Socialist Reich Party was banned
  • 1956 KPD was banned
28
Q

Stability

Adenauer worked to exclude ……. political opposition, for example by….

A
  • left wing
  • making changes to vote allocations and seats in the Bundestag it was harder for small parties to gain seat
29
Q

Stability

By 1961 the FRG was a ….. state at the heart of Europe

A
  • stable, prosperous
30
Q

Stability

Adenauer and his Economics minister Erhard…
This helped to create…

A
  • pursued a free market economy
  • social harmony and strong economic growth leading to stability
31
Q

Stability

What would suggest that Adenauer worked for the greater good of Germany

A
  • Adenauer did not speak out about the building of the Berlin Wall in 1961,
  • despite protests in the West - showing his indifference to unification
  • & he was criticised for this
  • BUT ultimately the wall eased tensions
32
Q

Stability

What law with Adenauer instrumental to

A
  • The Basic Law - 1949
33
Q

Stability

Adenauer took control of …….. after …… when the ACC allowed him to

A
  • FOREIGN POLICY
  • 1951
34
Q

Stability

How did Adenaeur effectively go about reintegration

A
  • He built 4 milion new homes for Germans &
  • helped refugees to integrate into the FRG
35
Q

Stability

How did Adenauer raise the international status of the FRG

A
  • Adenauer sought and achieved germany’s entry into the council of europe & the OEEC
36
Q

Stability

How did Adenauer improve the work place

A
  • He supported the co-determination policy —>
  • allowed workers to participate in the decision making process within the workplace
  • This reduced tension between worker and employer & allowed his govt to focus on growing the economy —> fewer strikes
37
Q

Stability

How did Adenauer bring passivity to the German political climate

A
  • He developed policies that appealed to the middle ground of politics and appealed to moderates
38
Q

Stability

How did Adenauer strengthen Germany’s position in Europe

A
  • pushed formembership NATO - attained in 1955
  • created a degree of unity with France through the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community
  • 1957 Germany joined the EEC again strengthening links with France
39
Q

Stability

How did Adenauer effectively use the media to ensure stability

A
  • October 1962- The magazine Der Spiegel published an article criticising the performance of West German troops in recent NATO exercises
  • Adenauer supported the arrest of the journalists who had been critical
40
Q

Give a stat that shows support for the CDU/CSU increased

A

31%-50.2% by 1957

41
Q

Adenauer passed ……………. in ………….. to compensate Jews

A
  • Restitution Laws
  • 1953