FRG - Opposition, Control + Consent Flashcards
Socialist Reich Party
Short-lived Nazi continuation Party
Never exceeded 10,000 members
Self-dissolved
Banned in 1952
‘Count me out movement’
1950s
Anti-Nuclear protests
SPD - Anti Nuclear // CDU/CSU = Pro Nuclear
SPD + Trade unions organised strikes - eg. 1958 - 10,000 VW workers went on strike
The CDU position won
Protests died out
Evidence of stability throughout the 1950s
Socialist Reich Party + KPD banned in 1952+56 with minimal opposition
Fears of the Cold War
Economic Prosperity
Causes of Student Protest
1960s -
Increasing USA influence - percieved FRG involvment in Vietnam
Military spending // NATO // Nuclear Weapons
Overcrowding in University // Lack of representation
Nazi officials remaining in power
SPD became more conservative - 1959 Bad Godesburg
Materialism - Students wanted egalitarian society
Political dominance of wealthy-middle class men
Some growing authoritarian traits - Adenauer trying to combine the role of chancellor + president (1959)
Problems with Universities (1960s)
Overcrowding
Under Funded
Students lacked representation
Lack of jobs for skilled (degree-holder) citizens
Georg Picht
Wrote articles arguing that the German Education system was in crisis, staff + supply shortages (1964)
Led to student protests about state of universities + lack of represenatation
Eric Kuby
Radical LW Student journalist
Free University authorities banned him from speaking against the Vietnam War (1965)
Students went on strike, acted as a catalyst to further protests about overcrowding + Staff shortages
Role of Vietnam War
1955-75
Led to further protests - 12,000 protested against the war (1968)
New Left
Critical of materialism / consumerism
Advocated freedom (sexual, racial and social)
Shah of Iran
Visitied FRG in June 1967
Protest took place against his visit
During the protest, Benno Ohnesorg was shot
This led to further mass protests
Axel Springer’s media empire was attacked as he had supported the officer who shot Benno and attacked the New Left movement
Rudi Dutschke
Shot by a neo-nazi gunman in April 1968
Wave of student protetst
5 days of violent protests - attacking Springer
Success of Student opposition
Very Limited
Some extra funding for universities
DM260,000 for research
APO
A loose grouping of left-wing students + trade unions who felt radical protest was necessary
Beliefs - Bundestag was not representative
Actions - Initially strikes / marches, faded by mid 1960s
End - Some conformed with society after their degrees, some became more radical
Socialist German Student’s Union (SDS)
Founded in 1946
Student wing of the SPD
Became more radical following the Bad Godesburg Conference (1959)
Beliefs - SPD was too weak, wanted a radical ‘new left’
Actions - Student sit ins + mass demonsrations
Success - By late 1960s, they had control of the national student body (VDS) - the existing Student Union
Criteria making Student Oppositon Insignificant
Nature - Mostly Peaceful protest
Success in aims - Very limited, some funding
Support - Low = 92% of Berliners opposed student violence
Longjevity - Most students abandoned protest and took tradiitonal careers.
Emergency Law
1968
The police were given greater powers to control and reduce the amount of student protests
Only opposed by the FDP
30,000 marched in Bonn
Significance of the Emergency Law
1968
Controversial due to - memory of article 48, suspension of democracy / growing authoritain state.
Red Army Faction (RAF) - Membership, Areas of protest / support + Actions
Membership - Young educated Germans
Areas of protest - Consumerism, Vietnam War, Nuclear Weapons, FRG democratic system + New Left (support)
Actions - Initally sabotage / arson (held 15% public support) , moved to violence towards people eg. kidnapping + assasination (lost public support).
RAF Timeline
1968 - Fire-bombing of two deparement stores
1970 - RAF members recieve training in Palestine (PLO)
1972 - RAF occupy FRG Embassy in Stockholm
1973 - 3 key RAF members recieve life sentances
1977 - German Autumn
1979 - NATO chief assasination attempt
1986 - Bombings at US airbase in Frankfurt
1998 - RAF officially disolve
1972 - RAF
RAF members occupy the Stockholm Embassy
Killed 2 workers
5 RAF members sent to Stamheim Prision
Meinhof hung herself in 1976
Baader shot himself 1977 (After news of Hijack)
German Autumn
1977
Assasination of many officials
Hijacked a plane - Schmidt refused to give in to demands
Anti-Radical Decree
1972
Introduced political vetting of civil servants
1,000 people barred from jobs
Govt. response to growing extremism
Anti-Radical Decree (1972) - Purged CS
Reforms were introduced in Universities allowing students a stronger voice in 1969.
From 1973, terrorists in jail had harsher treatments, eg. RAF were put in solitary confinement.
Surveillance was increased - by 1977, over 6000 individuals were placed under police surveillance and nearly 5 million were listed as sympathisers.
Neo-Nazi (NPD)
The Neo Nazi group gained some support due to the dislike of student protests, economic downturn and dissent at the centre right party.
Success -
4.3% of the vote in 1969
They obtained some local Govt. seats
Thadden’s leadership was effective
Some support regarding guest worker resentment
Failure -
Never surpassed the 5% mininimum voter threshold
Their Nazi connection was unpopular - eg. political violence
They damaged the international reputation of the FRG
Support diminished when economic improved
Aspects of Denazification
Germans forced to visit concentration camps
Nuremberg War Trials (1945-46)
Screening of Civil Service
“Year Zero”
Fragebogen
Limitations of Denazification
Difficult to audit the whole population
Lack of non-nazi skilled labourers - eg. 85% of teachers sacked were working again by 1947 + 102/112 doctors in Bonn had a Nazi past.
90% of German legal profession had been Nazi members
1951 Reinstatement Act saw many former Nazis re-join civil service/ judiciary
Foreign ministry had 39 Former Nazi party members
Reinstatement Act
1951
Allowed all investigated civil servants to return to work, except ex-gestapo members.
c.50% of the Govt. in 1950s had a nazi past.
Evidence of support of the FRG
KPD never had more than 50,000 members
NPD never had more than 5% votes
50% majority achieved by Adenauer in 1957
Konrad Adenauer was personally popular - Times person of the year 1953 / Greatest German 2002
Only 6/1000 days were strike days compared to UK 156/1000.
Voter turnout >85% 1953-1976
Popular Policy
Co-determination
Social Market Economy
German Federation of Trade Unions
European Integration (EEC + NATO)
Child benefits (1954)
‘No experiments’
Pensions Act (1957)
Construction Law (1950)
Personal popularity of Adenauer + Erhard
