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Germany And West Germany 1918 - 89 > Political and Governmental Change FRG > Flashcards

Political and Governmental Change FRG Flashcards

1
Q

What 2 decisions were made in Yalta conference, Feb 1945?

A
  • GER and Berlin divided into 4 zones for GBR, USSR, USA, FRA
  • Allied Control Council set up to make decisions across zones
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2
Q

What 4 decisions were made in Potsdam Conference, Jun 1945?

A
  • De-Nazification
  • Demilitarisation
  • Deindustrialisation to keep GER weak and build ship materials for reparations
  • Democratisation
  • Divide Berlin into 4 zones
  • Sending 10% of industrial machinery from other zones to USSR and another 15% in return for food and raw materials vice versa as reparations
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3
Q

What were the two dominant political parties in the Western zone and who were their leaders?

A
  • CDU/CSU (Christian Democratic/Social Union) led by Adanauer
  • SPD led by Schumacher
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4
Q

When were political parties first set up in Germany and who led in the Allied and Soviet Zone?

A
  • Jun 1945
  • Soviet zone: KPD
  • Allied zone: SPD
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5
Q

What had changed about KPD’s manifesto and 4 features?

A
  • Did not want soviet state
  • German socialism
  • Land reform
  • New education system
  • Democratic gov
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6
Q

What were SPD’s policies like compared to KPD and what were they (4)?

A
  • Much more radical
  • Nationalisation of banks, land + key industries
  • Significant social welfare systems
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7
Q

What kind of party was CDU/CSU?

A
  • Centre-right party w/ members from ZP
  • Focused on social welfare
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8
Q

How did political parties learn from Weimar and what did they do as a result?

A
  • Faith-based and Church-based parties negotiated to create single parties so their power would be increased
  • 1947 –> liberal grps formed FDP (Free Democratic Party) + most faith-based grps joined CDU
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9
Q

What was the relationship like between Russia and GER and what was happening?

A
  • Cold war
  • USSR made any country they occupied communist eg Poland and Yugoslavia
  • West gave Marshall Aid to countries hoping they would not take Soviet’s help and become communist eg. Greece
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10
Q

Give one example of the cold war developing between the West and the East:

A

May 1946 –> US zone suspended reparations towards USSR in retaliation for their refusal to deliver foodstuffs

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11
Q

When did USA, Britain and French join their zones and what was each called?

A
  • Bizonia: USA and Britain (1946)
  • Trizonia: USA, Britain, France (Apr 1949)
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12
Q

Which two parties combined in Soviet Zone, when and what was their position like?

A
  • SPD and KPD combined to become SED
  • Apr 1946
  • Most significant in Soviet zone
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13
Q

When were elections held across Berlin and who won in the Soviet zone?

A
  • KPD (joint force)
  • Oct 1946
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14
Q

When were FRG and GDR created?

A
  • FRG: May 1949
  • GDR: Oct 1949
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15
Q

When was the Parliamentary Council set up, what did it have to draw up, what was this called and when was it announced?

A
  • 1 Sep 1948
  • New constitution: the Basic Law
  • 23 May 1949
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16
Q

What did the Basic Law say?

A

1) Bundestag was elected by universal suffrage every 4 yrs w/ PR
2) Those receiving less than 5% of votes could not take any seats in the Bundestag
3) Bundesrat is allowed to request reconsideration of legislation/veto it
4) Equal rights to ALL GER citizens
5) Gov could not be removed by vote of no confidence unless alternative party w/ sufficient support was ready
6) Possible to ban parties if they seemed to undermine FRG
7) President could only be elected for one term
8) President had ceremonial role w/ little political responsibility

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17
Q

How often was the president elected and by who?

A
  • Every 5 yrs
  • Federal Convention –> made of all Bundestag + some Bundesrat members
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18
Q

Who was in charge of federal govs?

A

16 Lander elected by voters in their region

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19
Q

When was the first election to the Bundestag held, where did it first meet and when?

A
  • Election –> 14 Aug 1949
  • Bonn
  • Meeting –> 7 Sep 1949
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20
Q

What were the election results and as a result who became Chancellor?

A

CDU/CSU - 31%
SPD –> 29.2%
FDP –> 11.9%
- Adanauer

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21
Q

Did any one of the republics rule out unification?

A

No, but the political situation was so different that this would be more difficult to do so as time passed

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22
Q

What was going on from 1949 to 1950s and what was the problem despite this?

A
  • Negotiations between FRG and GDR about unification
  • Increasing number of economic and political ties w/ West when USSR was in a Cold War with them
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23
Q

When was Hallstein Doctrine formed and give two features of it?

A
  • 1955
  • Refused to recognise legality of East Germany as separate country
  • No longer have diplomatic relations with any country that had diplomatic relations w/ GDR
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24
Q

From what dates was Konrad Adanauer Chancellor of FRG?

A

From 1949 to 1963

25
Q

How did Adanauer create a stable political base for FRG?

A
  • Until 1955 –> Controlled domestic and foreign policy as chancellor and foreign minister
  • Excluded political opposition
  • Changes to vote allocations and seats
26
Q

What was Adanauer criticised for?

A
  • Chancellor democracy (control over everything)
  • Appointing weak ministers and treated them like advisers rather than equals
27
Q

What benefit did Adanauer’s forceful personality bring about?

A

Kept FRG coalitions working together until 1957

28
Q

Give two examples of domestic policy by Adanauer:

A
  • Rebuilding of German infrastructure through the Construction Law resulting in building of 4 mil homes
  • Equalisation of Burdens Act offering compensation to victims of wartime bombing and those expelled to East
29
Q

Give three examples of foreign policy by Adanaeur:

A
  • 1949 –> Achieved entry into Council of Europe and representation on Organisation for European Economic Co-operation
  • 1954 –> Gained agreement from NATO to rearm
  • Supported Hallstein Doctrine
30
Q

Why did Adanauer want to work closely with the West, which some did not agree with? Give 3 reasons

A
  • Become self-governing
  • Quickest way to rebuild the economy
  • FRG could become accepted as part of Europe
31
Q

How did Adanauer exclude political opposition?

A

1952 –> Socialist Reich Party (extreme right wing) banned
1956 –> KPD declared unconstitutional in attitude to democratic gov, so were banned

32
Q

What changes were made to vote allocations and seats?

A

1953 –> Changes to vote allocations and seats made it harder for small parties to gain a seat
1957 –> Changed to limit small parties even more

33
Q

What did Adanauer do when restoring civil service, gov and judiciary, why did this have to happen and how was it justified?

A
  • Allowed too many ex-Nazis
  • 1939 –> All gov workers had to join NSDAP or lose jobs
  • Only way to rapidly establish an effective civil service
34
Q

When was allowing ex-Nazis made official and what article was this?

A
  • 11 May 1951
  • Article 131
35
Q

How did FRG solve the problem of ex-Nazis when establishing its army in 1955?

A

Accepted ex-Nazis like GDR

36
Q

Give one other example of political mistakes the chancellor made that weakened his last term of leadership:

A

Failure to visit Berlin in 1961 when Berlin Wall was first being constructed

37
Q

Give two examples of more ways after 1960 that Adanauer enforced censorship:

A

Example 1:
Jan 1961 –> Adanauer tried to set up gov controlled TV, as it would be important for next election campaign
28 Feb –> Ruled unconstitutional as he interfering w/ legislative branch (elections)
Example 2:
Oct 1962 –> Supported arrest of journalists who wrote article criticising performance of West German troops in recent NATO exercises

38
Q

What was consequence of supporting the arrest of these journalists?

A

FDP ministers resigned and only managed to get SPD coalition by promising to resign in 1963

39
Q

Which two CDU chancellors followed after Adanauer?

A
  • Erhard w/ FDP (1963 - 66)
  • Kurt Kiesinger w/ SPD (1966 - 69)
40
Q

What were the splits within CDU/CSU?

A
  • Atlanticists –> wanted to work w/ West
  • Gaullists –> shift focus to cooperation w/ East Germany
41
Q

Which approach did Erhard take and give two examples of his failed policies:

A
  • Followed Adanauer’s Atlanticist policies
    Example 1:
  • Introduced emergency law to tap phones, search homes etc
  • SPD refused to support
    Example 2:
  • Budget including heavy taxation that FDP ministers resigned
  • Erhard resigned
42
Q

What was the Grand Coalition?

A

Kurt Kiesinger w/ SPD leader coalition

43
Q

Why did the gov become more repressive and give an example of this:

A
  • Opposition from small extremist parties like neo-Nazi National Democratic Party
    Example:
  • SPD who previously opposed emergency law now voted for one in 1968
44
Q

Ostpolitik:

A

Establishing friendly relations w/ East Germany

45
Q

What did Kiesinger’s coalition shift towards?

A

Ostpolitik

46
Q

What issues did Kiesinger’s gov face, causing it to lose support?

A
  • He was former member of Nazi Party
  • 1968 –> emergency committee established that could enact emergency measures in serious threat, which was greatly criticised
47
Q

Who was in charge from 1969 to 1982?

A

Brandt (SPD chancellor) and Schmidt (FDP)

48
Q

Until 1989, what policy was pursued, beginning w/ Brandt and what didn’t they like about his changes?

A
  • Ostpolitik
  • Several more liberal measures eg decriminalised homosexuality
49
Q

Give one reason for the pursuit of Ostpolitik:

A

They would be divided for a while anyway so normalising these relations without threatening the peace of Europe would be best

50
Q

Give two examples of Ostpolitik:

A
  • 1970 –> Brandt visited GDR city of Erfurt (first FRG leader to do this)
  • Basic Treaty of Jun 1973 –> 2 Germanies recognised each other’s right to exist
51
Q

When did people do a vote of no confidence and by how many votes did it fail?

A
  • April 1972
  • Failed by 2 votes
52
Q

After the attempt at a vote of no confidence, what did Brandt do and what was the outcome of this?

A
  • Nov 1972 –> Called early election
  • Highest turnout for SPD ever
  • However, in 1974, he resigned as it was found one of his advisers were a GDR spy and he felt he should’ve known about this
53
Q

When did Schmidt replace Brandt and who else was part of coalition?

A
  • May 1974
  • FDP
54
Q

What 4 issues did Schmidt face in his coalition?

A
  • Growing support for green issues
  • Tensions w/ FDP
  • Argument of allowing nuclear weaponry to be based in FRG territory
  • Policies aimed at reducing inflation
55
Q

When did another constructive vote of no confidence happen and who was Schmidt replaced by?

A
  • 1 Oct 1982
  • Helmut Kohl (CDU/CSU)
56
Q

When did Kohl call elections, why and what was the outcome?

A
  • 6 Mar 1983
  • Unelected chancellor –> justify his leadership
  • 48.8% of vote
57
Q

What 2 issues did Kohl face?

A
  • Economic problems
  • Criticised for not dealing w/ corruption eg Flick affair
58
Q

What economic issues were there in the Kohl coalition and how were these overcome?

A
  • Issues: Rising unemployment and social deprivation
  • Solutions: Tax cuts, maintained high spending on welfare
59
Q

What was the Flick affair?

A

1984 –> FDP finance minister resigned as he had exempted Flick Corporation from tax on DM1.8 bil sale of shares in Daimler-Benz

Germany And West Germany 1918 - 89 (14 decks)

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