Political extremism under the FRG (2) Flashcards
Political extremism under the FRG
- Grew severe in the 1970s, turning to terrorism, but many people sympathised for these groups - suggesting govt action didn’t always receive a positive reaction.
- Basic Law emphasised freedom of speech to uphold democracy, but the govt didn’t want extremist parties to overthrow it.
Who was apart of the first government formed on August 1949?
- The CDU as it’s largest party, while the party with the most radical political agenda (SPD) wasn’t included.
- Likely because voters desired more moderate parties.
What did the SPD dislike about Adenauer’s policies?
+ ‘Year zero’ approach to past membership of the Nazi Party.
+ Desire to align the FRG with Europe (unlikely to reunify with East Germany).
Political Parties and the demonstrations and marches in the 1950s
- Govt clamped down on certain political groups - used the Basic Law’s clause that political parties could exist as long as they didn’t threaten democracy or the constitution (censorship).
- Banned the right-wing Socialist Reich Party (similar views to Nazis) in 1952.
- KPD began to organise communist demonstrations in the cities (unable to win support in the Bundenstag). Banned in 1957.
Political opposition: Student protests
- Objected to the ‘year zero’ principle: disliked ex-Nazis in positions of political powers. Adopting the slogan ‘what did you do in the war, Daddy?’ to taunt the older generation.
- Protests against the FRG’s military: The involvement with the West through NATO, and the possibility of building and storing atomic weapons (or other countries’ weapons).
- Protested against the Vietnam War: Saw the USA as the face of capitalism.
Who was attracted to the student protests?
Younger generation caught up in the feeling of youth protests all through the West.
Extent of the student protests’ threat to stability
Somewhat a threat - demonstrating issues about peace rather than just politics.
Political opposition: APO
What type of protest
When were they active
Why were they active
- A political protest movement - formed a central part of the German student movement.
- Active during the later 1960s and early 1970s.
- Called for constitutional freedom of opinion, the press and assembly to publicly convey its demands.
Who was attracted to the APO?
- Left wing intellectuals who felt unrepresented (strong university membership - or young professionals).
- Those who distrusted the established conservative Govt and partly because there were no left-wing parties to absorb them, after the ban of KPD and the increasingly moderation of SPD policies in 1951.
Extent of the APO’s threat to stability
- Large - increased violent political protests.
- Many students supported radical ideas to oppose the Govt, seeing action as more important than debate and argument.
Political opposition: SDS
What type were they?
When were they active?
- A student union formed in 1946.
- In 1950s, tensions grew between the SPD and SDS = SPD expelling all members of the SDS from the party in 1961.
What did the SDS protest about?
- Protested political issues in the FRG:
+ Ex-Nazis holding office in government.
+ Germany’s involvement in NATO.
+ Emergency Law = 80,000 protested what they saw as the Basic Law’s human rights principles. - Protested HR and moral issues in the world:
+ Vietnam war.
+ Nuclear weapons.
+ Shah’s visit in 1967 because of Iran’s poor human rights.
Extent of the SDS’s threat to stability
Large threat:
- Held Rudi Dutscke, the leader, responsible for the escalating violence.
- Shah’s visit = police conflict led to a student (Ohnsorg) shot. Group was split regarding how violent demonstrations should be.
- Further violence after the shooting of Dutscke by right-wing fanatics after reading the student protests’ criticisms in the conservative newspaper owner, Axel Springer = Easter Riots - attacks on the offices.
- Last major demonstration on 11th May 1968 against the Emergency Law = threat died as the Law gave the Govt powers of arrest and surveillance.
Political opposition: Baader-Meinhof Gang (Red Army Faction or RAF)
What type
When were they active?
Why were they active?
- Terrorist group set up in the early 1970s.
- Challenge and radically change the state after discovering the Third Reich - feared reverting back and criticised the former functionaries (President Lubke) of the Third Reich acting in official positions.
- Disliked the state focus on economic prosperity - wanted people to reflect on the past and ‘consider the meaning and purpose of this life’.
Extent of the RAF’s threat?
High threat:
- Trained with Palestinian terrorist group, PLO in Jordan.
- Bombed a department store in Berlin to protest against the Vietnam War = 1.6 million marks in damage.
- By late 1970s, most leaders were imprisoned and called for hunger strikes (reduced threat) but it led to bombing the homes of several lawyers and judges involved in the trials that imprisoned the gang members. Likewise, people bombed Stockholm, Paris and other cities to show support for them.
- Govt activity reduced terrorism - also a feeling it didn’t achieve anything.
- Bombings occurred in the 1980s, but it was not a regular occurrence.
