Political Dissent and Active Challenge FRG Flashcards
How was the FRG set up?
Established in 1949 - set up to be a democracy where they tried to avoid problems that the Weimar government had in making coalitions and forming policy
Bottom line of the basic law
Very clear about the fact that there should be free speech, freedom of press and no censorship ; which meant that opposition now had a voice again in Germany (unlike during the Nazis), both within the political system and inside the country
Bigger issues during the 1950s when FRG trying to establish itself
Rebuilding the Government - avoiding Weimar problems
Building a sense of identity while leaving room for reunification with East Germany
Rebuilding the economy and physically rebuilding the country
Establishing FRG as a viable/moderate member of Europe ; NOT REVOLUTION
2 main articles in Basic Law
Article 20 (all Germans have right to resist anyone not wanting constitutional order) and 21 with 21 being used to suppress small extremist political parties (to prevent parties like NSDAP rising) Suppress any extremist ideology and create stability
Was there political dissent?
The coalition that emerged from the first elections in August 1949 had Christian Democratic Union (CDU) as main party and that the SDP, most radical, were not part of the government because feeling was to TROD A MODERATE LINE
Only really SDP who argued the several moves by Adenauer such as the Nulle Stude approach to past mmerbshio of Nazi party and his desire to align FRG with west Europe away from reunifying with East Germany
Demonstrations and Marches in the 1950s
The clauses in basic law were used to ban the right wing socialist Reich party in 1952 because it was expressing views that were highly reminiscent of the Nazis and were thus a threat to democracy
Furthermore, KPD were unable to win enough seats in the Bundestag (5% rule) so they began communist demonstrations which was put down in Munich in 1953 with clashes with police
Changes in the 1960s
FRG had found its political feet in Europe and had a strong economy too ; people were more confident and many were caught up in the feeling of youth protest throughout the west
How did youth people show itself to FRG?
1) Young people wanted to confront Germany’s Nazi past and objected to his year zero principle ; they objected to ex-Nazis in positions of political power and used the slogan “what did you do in the war daddy” to taunt the older generation ; many felt dislocated by widespread lack of family history as a result of year zero
2) protests against FRG military involvement with west through NATO and the possibility that it would build atomic weapons or allow others to store nuclear weapons in FRG
3) discontent at the way USA was conducting the war in Vietnam ; USA became the face of money-grabbing, repressive capitalism
How did the APO come about?
Many groups that had left wing intellectuals ; Ausserparliamentarische Opposition came about because of distrust of these intellectuals for the established conservative government and partly because there were no left-wing parties to absorb them after the KPD was banned and the SPD revised its policies to be less radical in 1959
What happened as a result with the left wing?
Left trade unionists and students feeling unrepresented ; violent political protests , like in Weimar, began to gather force again
APO had a strong university membership and many of whom supported radical theories about how to oppose government ; saw action as more important than movement
Released film like Viva Maria! (1965) showed a radical, revolutionary lifestyle with the use of bombs and guns for social revolution
SDS
Originally part of the SPD but broke away in 1961 as it felt they were getting less and less radical and no longer represented their feelings over rearmament ; (German socialist student Union)
Was the protest at FRG directly?
Not always - various human rights and moral issues too
SDS protested about Vietnam war and nuclear weapons ; former Nazis holding office in the government (called them the Auschwtiz generation) and FRG involvement in NATO
When did it get serious with APO?
In 1967 during demonstrations against human rights record of Iran ; conflict with police escalated and a student, Benno Ohnesorg was shot
Led to an increase in membership of SDS but also a split regarding use of violence : many said the only way to fight violence was through violence
Who is it that many hold responsible for violence of SDS?
Rudi Dutschke (leader from 1965)
Biggest riot?
April 1968 Dutschke was shot ; the Easter riots on the Springer press (conservative newspaper that led to Dutschke’s killing) followed
Riots died down and SDS took part in a major demonstration in Bonn against the Emergency Law in May 1968 ; 80,000 people protested against a violation in basic human rights and the law was passed allowing the government powers of arrest and surveillance
