FRG Politics Flashcards
What was the Truman Doctrine?
Established that the USA would provide political, economic or military aid to any democratic country under the threat of Communism
What was the Marshall Plan?
US sponsored programme designed to rehabilitate the economies of 17 western and southern European countries in order to create stable conditions in which democratic institutions could survive after the war.
What did Britain and USA do in 1948 that would help West German economy and annoyed the USSR?
Created the Deutschmark and a new German Central Bank
What was the USSR’s response to the creation of the Deutschmark?
The Berlin Blockade - blocking all road, rail and barge access to West Berlin.
How did the USA and Britain respond to the Berlin Blockade?
The Berlin Airlift - with remarkable success they airlift supplies into West Berlin. In May 1949 the USSR ceased the blockade.
Who was made head of the Parliamentary Council in August 1948?
Konrad Adenauer (leader of the CDU)
What was Basic Law?
The constitution drafted by the Parliamentary Council
What were the two houses in the Federal Parliament?
The Bundestag and the Bundesrat
What was the Bundestag?
- the lower house
- elected every 4 years through universal suffrage
- half its members were directly elected and half elected through party lists
- parties needed to win over 5% of the vote to gain representation
What was the Bundesrat?
- the upper house
- had the power to approve and veto legistlation
What was the role of the Chancellor and what could he do?
He was the head of the government and was elected by the Bundestag. He could only be removed by a ‘constructive vote of no confidence’ whereby the removal of one chancellor depended on the Bundestag’s election of a successor.
What was the Federal Constitutional Court?
Modelled on the US Supreme Court, it was designed to protect the constitution and had powers to settle disputes between the federal government and state governements. The court was empowered to ban parties deemed to be undemocratic.
What were the 4 key values of Basic Law?
- there could be no more enabling acts or similar contitutional changes that might undermine democratic rule
- guranteed freedom of assembly, association and movement
- it identified the fundemental basic human rights of each German
- it committed the FRG to work to re-establish a united Germany and guranteed West German citizenship for all people of German descent
Who was Ludwig Erhard?
He was appointed director of the economic adminstration in March 1948 and then became economics minister 1949-63.
What was a Social Market Economy
A free market economy with elements of social support for the poorest built in - a ‘socially responsible’ free market economy
Who opposed Erhard’s policy of converting from a command economy to a social market economy?
Britain and the Socialists
What were the three main political parties in the FRG?
- The Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
- The Free Democratic Party (FDP)
- The Social Democratic Party (SDP)
What was the CDU?
The Christian Democratic Union
- founded in 1945, was a centre-right party.
- believed that a social-market economy was the best economic model
- were conservative on social issues
- were staunchly anti-Communist and committed to a policy of integration with Western powers
What was the FDP?
The Free Democratic Party
- founded in 1948, was a Liberal party
- it was determind to protect individual freedoms and supported economic free enterprise
What was the SDP?
The Social Democratic Party
- founded 1863, was a left wing party
- presented itself as the party of the working class
- advocated for the nationalisation of major industries and centralised economic planning
What percentage of the vote did the CDU win in the 1949 election?
31%
With which other major party did Adenauer form a coalition with?
The FDP (who polled nearly 12%)
How long did Adenauer remain chancellor?
14 years (1949-1963)
In what year did West Germany become a member of NATO?
1955
What was the nickname given to Adenauer’s style of leadership?
‘Chancellor democracy’ because of the personal authority he wielded in government.
What percent of the vote did the CDU win in the 1953 election?
45.2%
What percent of the vote did Adenauer win in the 1953 election?
50.2%
In 1958, who became the new leader of the SPD?
Willy Brandt
When was the Korean War?
1950
How did the Korean War help the FRG economy?
Despite being banned from creating war surpplies, its industrial goods, chemicals, steel and electrical goods were now in high demand.
What was the ‘Brain Drain’ or the influx of ‘Guest Workers’?
The influx of refugees (braindrain referring to East German migrants) after the war meant that there was a large workforce, keeping wages low.
