FRG: PARTY POLITICS & SPD Flashcards
What were the four main beliefs of the CDU?
1) The upholding of capitalism and competition.
2) Support for the vulnerable in society.
3) Preservation of the welfare state.
4) Support for the Ahlen Programme.
Who were the main rivals to the CDU?
The Social Democrats.
What was the main belief of the Social Democrats?
Social Justice.
Which parties were banned in the FRG? Give examples of parties who were banned.
Parties of the far left and far right. The SRP (far-right) in 1952 and the KPD in 1965
What was the 5% rule?
Parties that gained 5% of the national vote or a direct mandate through a constituency election would have representation.
What did Adenauer do with splits within many political parties?
Absorbed some of the right-wing parties into the CDU.
What percentage of the vote did the CDU achieve in 1949?
31%
What percentage of the vote did the CDU achieve in 1957?
50%
How did the CDU greatly increase their vote in 1953?
Through the rise of anti-communism during the period of the Korean War.
How did the CDU gain the majority of the vote in 1957?
Due to success in economic growth.
How many seats did the CDU and SPD have in the 1945 election?
CDU: 139
SPD: 131
What was the fourth largest party in 1945?
Communists with 22 seats.
What happened regarding the 5% hurdle in 1949?
Six of the parties gained less that 5% of the vote, but still won seats before the hurdle was passed in 1953.
What did the SPD see Erhard’s social market policy as?
Not in the interest of the majority of people and a threat to the new democracy.
What did the SPD see themselves as regarding the ‘German question’?
The only party which could serve the true interests of the whole of Germany.
