FRG: Political Dissent 1949-89 Flashcards
How had basic law allowed for opposition?
Basically comment, it was very clear about the fact there should be free speech, freedom of press, and no censorship. This game, opposition of voice again in Germany within political systems, and inside the country as a whole
Political descent were less important to the FRG in the 1950s. What were the biggest issues they tried to deal with?
- Rebuilding government and working together in useful coalitions to avoid problems Weimar had
- Building sense of identity, but leaving room for reunification with East Germany
- Rebuilding economy
- Establishing FRG as viable, moderate member of Europe
How are the SPD, the leading voice for political opposition in the 1950s
Argued against moves by Adenauer like ‘year zero’, approach to pass membership of the Nazi party and the desire to align the FRG with Europe (thus reunification with Germany, less likely)
What clause in the basic law allowed for the suppression of political parties? How was this used in 1952
Clause stated that political parties could exist as long as they didn’t threaten the constitution.
Close was used to ban right wing socialist right party in 1952 as it expressed views that were too reminiscent of the Nazi regime and thus democratic threat.
Youth protest in the 1960s
- Young people who objected to the ‘ year, zero’ That helped rebuild civil service wanted to confront Germany’s Nazi past. Objected to ex-Nazis in positions of power.
- Adopted slogan ‘ what did you do in the war daddy?’. Reversal of British recruitment poster for first world war that used this slogan to urge soldiers to join. Germans use it to taunt older generation.
- Protest against the FRG is military. This was because the FRG had involvement with NATO, and that it might start to build and store atomic weapons
- People join rising discontent with the way USA were conducting Vietnamese war.
- creation of APO
Why did the APO form?
Partly due to distrust of young people for the established conservative government, but also, as there was no left-wing parties to absorb them as the KPD was banned and SPD revised policies to be less radical
Who was mainly in the APO, and what did many of them support?
Strong university membership, many of whom supported radical theories on how to oppose the government.
Theories that saw action more important than arguments, and saw student protests as a key method of protest
Why did the SDS break away from the SPD?
Broke away in 1961, as it felt, the SPD was becoming less radical and no longer represented it’s feelings
How did the SDS protest against the FRG?
- protested about former Nazis holding office in the government
- FRG involvement in NATO
- demonstrations against human rights records of Iran conflict with the police and led to a student being shot. Further increased membership of SDS, but split opinion regarding how violent demonstration should be.
What were the Easter riots?
Series of attacks and offices of the spring, press all over Germany, due to the assassination of the SDS leader, Rudi Dutschke.
SDS took part in the last major demonstration on 11 May 1968, in Bonn against emergency law.
How did the emergency law being passed change student protest?
After the failed Easter riots, the law was passed anyway, and it allowed the government power to arrest and surveillance that led to change student protest
What are the terrorist challenges in 1970’s
- Emergency law reduced the amount of protest, but also made some groups feel marginalised so increase the level of violence due to terrorism
- police and government thrown off by terrorists refusal to work through conventional protest, so developed hardline policies to deal with them.
- groups were fluid, e.g. formed, joined one another changed names split, then fell apart again etc. terrorist were in and out of prison, and sometimes they arrest provoked more attacks.
- One of the leaders of a terrorist group was shot. The other was in prison, so members disbanded and moved onto other groups.
What was one of the most known and long lived terrorist groups in the 1970s. Examples of their attacks.
The Baader Meinhof gang was set up in early 1970. (Called itself the RAF)
- first known action was bombing in Dahlem may 1970.
- in November 1970, Hoglar Meins was member of hunger strikers who died, causing bombings of homes of several lawyers, and judged involved in the trials that sent the gang members to prison.
What were the levels of sympathy for terrorism?
People didn’t turn to terrorism in large numbers, but there was a surprising level of sympathy for terrorist groups in the early 1970s.
Public poll, 1970s, showed one and Germans felt some sympathy for the Baader half and 5% would let them stay in the house for a night if on run.
