Germany Booklet 4 Flashcards
Where were the two conferences that decided the fate of Germany after WW2?
Yalta and Potsdam
When did West Germany join NATO?
1949
When did East Germany join the Warsaw Pact?
1955
What did the Americans create in their zone?
Lander (Regional parliaments) and held elections in March 1946, the French and British did the same in May 1947
As part of the new FRG constitution, what powers did the president have?
Could remove the chancellor as a fail safe, just in case something went wrong again
As part of the new FRG constitution, what powers did the Chancellor and Government have?
Leader of the largest party is appointed chancellor
Could be removed by a vote of no confidence
Article 48 removed, couldn’t suspend the Bundestag
As part of the new FRG constitution, what was the new Bundestag?
The Bundestag sets the federal taxes
Partied had to gain at least 5% of the vote to take their seats in the Bundestag, this was to avoid the smaller extremist parties having influence
As part of the new FRG constitution, what were elections like?
Men and Women over 18 could vote
2 votes were made, one for a direct representative for their electoral district and another for a party list
As part of the new FRG constitution, what powers did the Bundesrat have?
Made up of the Lander - which controlled the education and administration in their state
Taxes split between Lander and government
Prussia erased as a state and the Landers given more power than ever
As part of the new FRG constitution, what was the civil service and judiciary?
Similar to the Weimar system in that it was politically independent
Acted as a check and balance to the active of government
Could ban parties they thought were undemocratic
As part of the new FRG constitution, what was the new welfare state?
New welfare state set up, similar to Weimar
True of False, West Berliners could vote in federal elections?
False: They were considered citizens of the FRG, but could not vote in federal elections
How many members of the Berlin assembly sat in the Bundestag and Bundesrat as observers?
22 in the Bundestag
4 in the Bundesrat
How much money did Marshal Aid give to West Germany?
$2.7 billion
What % of the population of West Germany was Catholic?
45%, as opposed to 30% pre-1945
How much did the CDU win the 1949 elections by?
CDU: 31% 139 Seats
SPD: 29.2% 131 Seats
Which party did the CDU form a coalition with and how many seats did this account for?
Free Democratic Party and the German Party which accounted for 208 of the 402 seats
How long did the CDU remain in power for?
Until 1969
Who was the first president of the FRG?
Theodor Heuss
What was the Ulbricht group?
German communists who had been in exile in the USSR while the Nazis were in power, they started developing in the Eastern Zone alone socialist lines under directives from Stalin
What was the SMAD?
The SMAD, Soviet Military Administration in Germany, controlled the USSR’s occupation of the Eastern Zone
Which two parties merged to form the SED and when?
The SPD and the KPD, 22nd April 1946
What was the FDJ?
Communist Free German Youth, similar to the Nazi Youth organisations
When was the FDJ setup and who was it for?
Setup in 1946 and for all those aged 14-25
What happened to all other groups and organisations?
They were all banned apart from Church groups
What were some other organisations setup in East Germany?
Women’s Democratic Association
Union of those persecuted by the Nazis
German cultural league
German-Soviet Friendship association
How much of industry and commerce had been nationalised in East Germany by 1949?
60%
How many large estates were redistributed as part of land reforms in East Germany?
7000