Political parties and elections

Question 1

What parties were in a coalition in the first government under Adenauer?

Answer 1

CDU, FDP, DP

Question 2

Who were the BHE?

Answer 2

League of Refugees and Expellees

Question 3

What was the ‘first-past-the-post’ system?

Answer 3

Candidate who wins most votes, not majority

Question 4

How did the new electoral system benefit German politics?

Answer 4

Safeguarded against extremists

Question 5

When was the 5% rule adopted at local level?

Answer 5

1953

Question 6

What did the 5% rule mean?

Answer 6

Parties below this couldn’t enter the Bundestag

Question 7

When were the Communists (KPD) banned?

Answer 7

1956

Question 8

Why did the DP (German Party) decline in the 1950’s?

Answer 8

Refugees integrated into society

Question 9

How could Vanishing opposition be seen as a good thing?

Answer 9

• Reduced the risk of extremists gaining power
• Consensus politics - focused on solving problems, not attacking each other
• Produced a period of economic growth

Question 10

How could Vanishing opposition be seen as a bad thing?

Answer 10

• Those frustrated with coalition government had no where to turn
• Frustration led to unrest amongst young

Question 11

What ‘terrorist’ groups were formed as a result of vanishing opposition?

Answer 11

Baader-Meinhof gang and Red Army faction