Opposition, Control And Consent 1949-89 Flashcards
What are two good signs showing that opposition was limited in the 1950s?
-no organised protest groups
-minimal support for socialist Reich Party and KPD banned
What areas show there is potential for rising tensions in the 1960s?
Communication problem with younger generation which led to frustration that would explode in 1960s as student protests took hold in many campuses and city centres
What were the issues causing student anger?
-government failure to completely remove former Nazis from positions of responsibility and Nazi past of older generation
-bored with apparent comfort and stability in FRG when TV screens and the media were filled with suffering and injustice somewhere
-opposition to growing materialism and political dominance of wealthy middle class men who ruled in accordance with their own interests
-overcrowding and lack of student representation in institutions of higher education
What can you use to judge the significance of opposition?
-how many people oppose
-how much finance they have
-level of violence
-how long they lasted
-how achievable their aims are
-how the government respond
Issue of the poor state of education
-education in state crisis, shortage of teachers, resources and overcrowding
-economic growth is not sustainable due to poor state of education
-levels reached by schools in FRG was on a par with some of the poorest European countries
What was the student/government response to the poor state of education?
-5 new universities founded in 1964 but:
-universities were overcrowded and underfunded
-students lacked representation on governing bodies
-west german chamber of commerce (1968) feared that unis were creating to many graduates compared to number of skilled jobs available
What was the issue of student representation?
The Free University in West Berlin in 1948 aimed a racial reputation in its governance. Students organised demonstrations for more representation in June 1966, protests spread to other unis
What was the student/government response to student representation?
Government did respond in June 1966. Minister of Science and Research announced a huge increase in funding for university research. The funding (DM 260,000) was double what it had been in 1955. However it did not do much to assuage student concerns about wider issues
What was the issue of violent response to protestors?
-students protested against the visit of the Shah of Iran (accused of being brutal dictator) . During protest a student was short dead (Benno Ohnesorg), in April 1968, leader of the Socialist Students’ union was shot dead by a neo-nazi gunman in April 1968
What was the student reposted to the violent response to protests?
-caused widespread and violent mass protests across FRG organised/led by uni students
-shooting led to 5 days of violent protest throughout FRG and radical protestors attacked springer buildings
Who were the radical student groups?
APO: opposition outside of parliament
SDS: Socialist Students’ Union
What was APO’s reason for opposition?
Argued that the Bundestag was dominated by parties that basically agreed on major issues, especially after election of 1966 = 2 main parties formed Grand Coalition controlling 90% of government seats
What methods did APO use?
-strikes, marches, demonstrations
What was the impact of APO?
After they graduated, members often conformed and accepted careers and lifestyles within conventional society. Some became more radical and joined groups committed to change through use of violence and terror
What was APO?
Lose group of left wing students and trade unions which felt radical protest was their only option to force change
What was the SDS?
Founded in 1946 as the student wing of the SPD. After the SPD policies became more conservative in 1959, SDS became more radical
What was the SDS’ reason for opposition? (Who became leader?)
In 1965, Radi Dutschke who was a radical former communist became leader (from GDR). Therefore, the SDS became more radical ad wide ranging in its campaigns
What methods did the SDS use?
From 1966, used vocal opposition to the Grand Coalition. Tactics such as sit-ins at universities and mass demonstrations
What was the impact of the SDS?
By the late 1960s, it had control of the national student body : the VDS
What was the extent of support?
-most German did not support radical changes and there was not much sympathy with student demonstrations
-June 1968, magazine Der Spiegel found that 92% of Berliners surveyed opposed student violence
How serious of a threat was student opposition to the stability of the FRG?
Not a serious threat to stability as student opposition didn’t last long and had a lack of support
What caused the emergence of the Red Army Faction?
In 1968, the government introduced the controversial emergency law which allowed greater powers of arrest and surveillance. = helped police to control and reduce the amount of student protests that were taking place in the late 1960s. Restricts led to a growing violent, anti-government terrorist movement who believed violence was the only mans of making a change. = creation of the Red Army Faction/Baader-Meinhof Gang
What was the membership of the RAF?
-radical left wing groups
-young, middle class, educated west Germans who were disillusioned with the FRG’s political system
What were the main ideas/reasons for protest of the Red Army Faction?
-believed that intellectual argument was useless against the forces of th establishment and direct action was necessary
-wanted to achieve destruction of consumerism, an end to Vietnam war and the death of the FRG itself (never explained what the would replace it with)
Wha were the actions of the Red Army Faction?
-used sabotage and arson : Baader initially arrested after fire-bombing a department store in Frankfurt in April 1968
-directed violence against people rather than property using bombings and assassination to achieve their goals
-used opinions polls (15% had sympathy with their goals)
What was the German Autumn 1977
Used to describe the RAF activities of the 1970s
Summary of the ‘German Autumn’
-killed more than 28 people
-robbed over 30 banks To finance activities
-man leaders arrested but Meinhof an Baader were able to radicalise fellow prison inmates and capture of principals appeared to have little affect on the RAF
-RAF brutality scared people
What were the 2 key successes of the FRG?
-germany turned to democracy, stable economy
-industry same level as 1933
What was happening around the world in the late 1960s?
-Berlin wall
-Cuban missile crisis
-Vietnam war
In what year were the Baader-Meinhof leaders arrested?
1972
What happened in Stockholm in 1975?
Violent explosion known as the occupation of embassy. Terrorist attack where 4 people were killed and wanted to release leaders from prison
How did Karl Heinz Dellwo first get involved in opposition to the government?
He was sent to prison for a year
What were Dellwo’s key political ideas?
Anti-capitalist
Marxist inspired
Why was the introduction of emergency laws so controversial?
It was a move closer towards authoritarian style government
West german politicians supported due to feeling the FRG was being threatened with anarchy and political extremism as a result of student protests
What did the main and most controversial section stated in Article 10?
-main and phone calls could be intercepted
-freedom of movement could be restricted
-certain jobs could be barred
Consequences of the introduction of the emergency laws of 1968
-citizens remembered how easy it had been to impose a dictatorship
-lack of provision for emergency measures in Basic Law = Allied powers had to take responsibility in the event of an emergency = development of political protest in 1960s + fear of escalation in the Cold War
-remained in force throughout whole of FRG, avoided politicians taking advantage of it
Other government responses to extremism
-german communist party banned in 1956 (some members were allowed to reform and create the DKP in 1968
-surveillance increased by 1977 over 6,000 individuals were under police surveillance and nearly 5 million listed as sympathisers
Who were the NPD?
Right wing extremist parties opposing the FRG
What evidence is there that the NPD was successful?
-winning local government seats
-1966 and 1967 = NPD won 15 seats (fuelled by discontent of lagging economy)
-1969 = received 4.3% of vote
What were the reasons for their success?
A reaction to the student’s movement (June 1967-8) critical of Nazi past
What evidence is there that the NPD was not a significant threat to the stability of the FRG?
Coalition fell apart around 75% of those who had voted for the NPD drifted back to the centre right
What were the reasons for the NPD decline?
An internal split over failing to get into the German parliament as well as the recovery for the FRG stability
How much of a threat was the NPD to the FRG?
A partial threat as although it won support gaining 4.3% of the vote in 1969, it didnt last long as the coalition fell apart
What was the process of de-nazification?
-250,000 Germans arrested in allied zones in 1946
-western zones = set out to re-educate german youth by banning nazi textbooks and introducing vetting process for teachers and librarians
-25% of Germans believed de-nazification was necessary
Summarise the nature of support for democracy in the FRG 1949-89?
-even at its peak, communists never had more than 50,000 members
-Adenauer was personally very popular and was voted the greatest German in 2002
-German voting for the CDU in 1957 winning them a majority for government . These were conservative, Christian parties, many young working class Germans voted for them
Why were people ‘nervous’ for reintroduction of democracy in the FRG?
Old political parties from weimar were re-established during 1950s and 1960s = west german politics dominated by the CDU = overwhelming support for democratic regime
How did people show support for democracy?
Participation in voting, lack of support for extremist parties, new political movements
How can you support democracy but not the government?
Support democracy but not the party in charge
Measures that allowed the FRG to win over public support
Spoke to conservative Roman Catholics
Support emphasis on western alliance , individual freedoms, rising living standards
