FRG Politics and government Flashcards
What was the situation like at the end of the war?
The allies had fully invaded, Hitler was dead, the streets had been bombed by the allies and there was a lack of men due to the deaths in the war. They created the FRG
What where the main political parties?
CDU/CSU - moderate right
SPD - moderate left
KPD - extreme left
FDP - centre
Name three things the basic law included?
Equal rights
Free speech
Universal suffrage over 18
Free state education
What actions did the FRG take to prevent extremism?
.Parties under 5% wouldn’t gain any power
.Strong state governments
Who was Konrad Adenauer?
.German Chancellor from 1949 - 65
.voted best German in 2002
What was Adenauer’s aims?
.Denazify Germany
.Maintain stability in Germany
.Maintain economic growth in Germany
What was Adenauer’s foreign policy?
.strong relations with the Western Europe and the USA
.FRG joned Nato and the EEC
Who was Willy Brandt?
.Chancellor 1913 - 1992
.Started Ostpolitik (communication with East)
.Worsened economic conditions
Who was Helmut Schmidt?
.Chancellor 1974 - 1982
.Advanced security policies in Europe
.Supported Ostpolitik
.Increased welfare then spending cuts
Who was Helmut Kohl
.Chancellor 1974 - 1982
.Spending cuts and tax cuts.
.Conservative
When did Germany surrender?
7th May 1945
What was the state of Germany in 1945?
.Hitler dead
.Four million Germans were dead
.Currency had collapsed
.Cities had been destroyed and there was shortage of housing
What was decided in the Yalta conference February 1945?
.Germany would be divided in four military zones
.Occupation for each zone would be administered by each one of the allies.
.Allied control council representing all four powers would be created to oversee
All 4 zones.
What was decided in the Potsdam conference June 1945?
.De - Nazification - former Nazi’s would be brought to trial to face justice for war crimes.
.De - militarisation
.Democratisation
.Deindustrialisation
What did the Allies do with Germany?
.June 1948 French, American and British zones formed new Trizonia zone and formed new currency called Deutschmark.
.Stalin tried to block allies from Berlin but air supplies made Stalin stop.
.Trizonia became the FRG (Federal Republic of Germany), not officially occupied but a substantial force was still there in response to the Soviet Union.
What where the main political parties?
.CSU/CDU
.SPD
.KPD
.FDP
What did the basic law/constitution include?
.Approved by the German parliament on the 23rd May
.New centre of government in Bonn
.Equal rights
.Free speech
.Universal suffrage for over 18’s
.Free state education
.Anti democratic parties where banned.
.legislature shall be bound by constitutional order
.Power set between federal government and Lander
What was the voting structure?
.Bundestag made up of 598 seats.
.299 are constituent members elected by first past the post
.299 allocated through proportional representation
.Each party had to receive 5% of the vote share to have a seat in the parliament.
What was the chancellor’s position?
.Chancellor would be leader of the largest party in Bundestag
.Could not be removed by vote of no confidence unless alternative part was ready to take power with sufficient support.
.President more ceremonial role.
Who was Konrad Adenauer 1949 - 1965?
.Greatest German 2002 .Leader of CDU .Opposed Hitler .won four terms of office .1957 he won a majority .Against GDR .Conservative strong and stable
What where Adenauer’s domestic policies?
.Collective bargaining law (1949) allowed unions bargaining rights like striking
.The construction law (1950) Grants provided to lenders and cities to provide large scale building projects.
.Equalisation of Burdens offered compensation to the victims of wartime bombing
.Work consultation law Encourage the establishment of worker consultative councils.
.Neo Nazi party banned 1952 and so where the KPD in 1956
What was Adenauer’s foreign policy?
.Strong relations with th west
.FRG and Nato
.FRG and EEC
What where the Challenges of Adenauer?
.Stronger moderate SPD
.Cold War tensions
.Student radical opposition
Who where the Leaders after Adenauer 1965?
.Ludwig Erhard 1963 - 66 (CDU/CSU) .Kurt Keisinger 1963 - 66 (SPD) .Willy Brandt 1969 - 75 (SPD) .Helmut Schmidt 1975 - 82 (SPD/FDP) .Helmut Kohl 1982 - 90 (CDU/CSU)
Who was Willy Brandt?
.Worsened economic conditions
.Started Ostpolitik communication with GDR
Who was Helmut Schmidt?
.Increased welfare spending
.advanced Ostpolitik
.1980 spending cuts
.Advanced communication and security in Europe.
Who was Helmut Kohl?
.Spending cuts/ tax cuts.
Konrad Adenauer founded a new centre right party in 1945 which went on to dominate German politics for the next twenty years. What was this party?
Christian Democratic Union
Accept CDU
Which act passed in 1950, helped Lander and cities to build 4 million new homes for German families?
The Construction Law
What was the name of the radical socialist leader of the SPD in the 1950s who adopted policies such as the nationalisation of banks, land and industries ?
Kurt Schumacher
Comparing the Weimar and FRG constitutions ( basic law), name two differences in the role of the President.
Basic Law: not elected by people, could only stand once, not commander of armed forces, mainly ceremonial role, no emergency powers, cannot dismiss chancellor or bundestag.
In what year did Adenauer win an outright majority for his party?
1957
Journalists from which left leaning magazine were arrested for criticising the competence of the German army in 1962? The outcry that ensued was one of the main reasons for Adenauer’s resignation from office a few months later.
Der Spiegel
The highpoint of Brandt’s policy of Ostpolitik, negotiating with the GDR, was an agreement signed between the FRG and GDR in 1973. This was the
Basic Treaty
Which chancellor lost a vote of no confidence in 1982, mainly due to his poor management of the economy?
Helmut Schmidt
What was the main reason for Brandt’s resignation in 1974?
Guillaume spy scandal
Which company was rewarded with tax exemptions for giving generous donations to the FDP. The scandal forced the resignation of the FDP finance minister in 1984.
Flick
What happened between the years of -
1945 - 49 , 1949 - 63, 1963 - 74, 1974 - 82, ?
1945 - 49 - Allied occupation
1949 - 66 - Adenauer Years
1966 - 74 - SPD Will Brandt
1974 - 82, schmidt
