Knowledge test Flashcards
What economic system did Schumacher want to introduce to Germany and how did it effect his 1949 election campaign?
- closed communist style economy which prohibited innovation and prosperity
- The USA were immediately put off by it because of its connotations to the USSR, decreasing his success
What examples were there of Schumachers election posters and how did this effect his 1949 campaign??
- Lots of aggressive anti-communist posters depicting Germany sectioned off from the communist east by barbed wire.
- Germany labelled as the red country which connoted communism
- Once again not favoured by USA, as well as conflicting with his economic tactics
What did Schumacher do to try and attack Adenauer and how did it effect his election chances in 1949
- called him a puppet of the church
- 45% of germany were catholic compared to 33% before the war, which turned them away from voting for Schumacher and more towards Adenauer
By how much % did Adenauer win the 1949 election by??
2%
Who did Adenauer use for economics and what examples were there of his success??
Erhard was Adenauer’s economic minister and was a world renowned economist
- Germanys GDP tripled in the 1950s due to his work
- real wages doubled from 1950-64
How was Adenauer presented in his 1949 election campaign and how did this help??
- He was portrayed as angelic and noble, dressed in white in one of them
- this made him seem more paternal compared to the aggression of Schumacher’s campaign, making him more favourable
How did Adenauer get the support of the catholics in the 1949 campaign??
vehement opposition to communism which didn’t conflict with his other policies ie economic
What examples of good west germany companies were there??
BMW, Siemens electronics, mercedes
What did the FRG from USA which allowed Erhard to be so successful and how much was it worth??
Marshall aid worth $1.3billion
What did Adenauer use to his advantage in his election campaign and how??
The legacy of WW2- despite being demilitarised he managed to get his own army, showing he has the trust of international powers
What resulted in Adenauer’s army and how big was it??
The Korean War, 150,000 troops
When was Germany demilitarised??
22nd November 1949
Why was America so interested in Adenauer and providing Marshall aid??
- They were looking for a FRG leader on the iron curtain which they could trust, to deliver on their hard line on communism
- marshall aid was meant to improve the FRGs economy compared to the GDR to show how much better it was and put pressure on them
- also stopped the spread of communism
How did foreign power acceptance help Adenauer win the 1949 election?
Germany was an occupied state after WW2 so foreign powers had a lot of authority, people in Germany recognised the importance of their support eg marshall aid and so they were more inclined to vote for Adenauer
Who did the CDU form a coalition with after the 1949 election and how many seats did they have??
CDU with Free democrat party and German party, had 208 of 402 seats
How long did the CDU remain in power for?
Until 1969
What did the FRG join in 1951 and what other members did it have?
The European coal and steel community which was a tariff free zone
-Other members included France, Italy, Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg
What did the FRG join in 1957 and how did it help??
EEC (European Economic community) which abolished tariffs and helped improve exports
What % did the CDU get in the 1953 election and how much of an increase was this??
45%, a 14% increase from 1949
Why did the CDU get more votes in 1953??
- fear of communism after Korean war
- success of Erhard/ economics
What did the FRG join in 1955 and what did it do??
NATO- FRG able to have its own military force and economic power as a result, making them crucial in the anti communist alliance of Cold War Europe