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
Challenges in the 1970s
The emergency law and police led to some feeling marginalised and resorting to terrorism ; at first police and government were surprised at this turn in strategy but then they became more hardline and created wanted posters etc
Describe terrorism at the time
Very fluid - joined with other gangs, split and fell apart all the time, in and out of prison ; regular gun battles with the police - accompanied by articles about what they wanted and why they were doing what they were doing
Baader-Meinhof
Early 1970 - bombing in Dahlem in May 1970 ; called itself the Red Army Faction ; influenced by Mirighella’s Minimanual for the Urban Guerrilla published in 1969
Group went to Jordan to train with the Palestinian terrorist grouping the PLO ; by the end of 1970 most of the leaders were in prison calling for hunger strikes
Hoglar Meins died in prison which sparked bombings of several lawyers and judges who were involved ; by 1975 many were in solitary confinement and although there were bombings in Stockholm etc these slowed as they didn’t achieve anything + due to Government intervention.
Worst terrorist activity
May 1972 - Baader Meinhof bombed US base/army HQ in Heidelberg and Frankfurt and police stations in Munich and Augsburg
September 1972 - Palestinian Guerrillas take Israeli hostages at the Olympic Village during the Munich Olympics
Restrictions in extremist parties
West Germans did not like what they were seeing in the GDR so the KPD was banned by the constitution court in 1956n; only gained 2.2% of the votes in the 1953 elections which led to no representation (less than 5%)
Bundestag did not allow these small extremist parties to enter ; hope was to nip them in the bud
But was this democracy? Led to many left wingers feeling disenfranchised and bitter
Change in Terrorist popularity?
At first there was a lot of sympathy towards achieving their goals however once they started employing these brutal tactics, many supported the government in its quest to defeat the group
What was the German Autumn?
RAF activities in the 1970s killed more than 28 people and maimed countless others in the course of the bombing campaigns, robbed over 30 banks to finance their activities and conducted kidnappings and assassinations of key establishment figures
Meinhof and Baader radicalised other prison in,ages and successive generations continued terror until 1998
Why was there a rise in the idea of the NPD (neo Nazis)
1) mid 1960s saw an economic recession which revived fears of the 1929 depression which helped Nazis to power
2) growing nationalistic dislike of guest workers who were seen to be taking jobs from German workers
3) Germans were tired of feeling guilty ; many reflected on the apparent successes of the Nazi period, particularly the full employment and improved living conditions. This was exacerbated by David Irving’s publication on the bombing of Dresden, highlighting it was a war crime and all sides were guilt of atrocities during the WW2
Why did NPD fail?
Didn’t break 5% barrier into Bundestag
Looked and acted a lot like Nazis
Harmed FRG’s international situation
Recession had eased
