political stability FRG Flashcards
when did political parties begin to be set up in Germany?
June 1945
what was the message of all political parties in the 50s and early 60s, even those who had previously been more extreme?
moderation and controlling extremism
when did the KPD announce itself, what did it want?
11th June 1945, wanted German socialism with land reform, new education system and democratic gov
when did the SPD re-form?
15th June 1945
how were the policies of the SPD more radical than those of the KPD?
wanted nationalisation of banks, land, key industries and social welfare systems to be provided
what two significant church based groups were set up?
Christian Democratic Union (CDU)
Christian Social Union (CSU)
why did the faith based groups and liberal groups negotiate to form single parties, what did they learn from Weimar?
having number of smaller parties with similar aims meant people spread votes and their power was reduced
what did the liberal groups form in 1947?
the Free Democratic Party (FDP)
who did all faith groups join, except CSU?
CDU
when was the Basic Law announced?
23rd May 1949
what did the Basic Law seem to outline?
a very free and liberal democracy
what groups that opposed Weimar no longer had significant power bases to oppose a gov?
army, trade unions, monarchists and aristocracy
what 3 things did the basic law promise?
equal rights regardless of race, political views, religion etc
free speech and no censorship
state education for all
what clauses showed that the Basic Law could be used to be more repressive?
could ban political parties that undermined FRG
when did the first FRG elections take place?
14th August 1949
what percent of the vote did the CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP win in the first election?
CDU/CSU- 31%
SPD-29.2%
FDP-11.9%
who was the first chancellor of the FRG?
Adenauer - CDU leader
when was Adenauer chancellor?
1949-1963
why did Adenauer have critics?
people opposed his authoritarian style and forceful management of Bundestag
what was the benefit of Adenauer’s forceful personality?
kept coalitions working together until 1957 when CDU/CSU won majority
what goals did Adenauer set out to achieve?
uniting Germany and closer European integration
why did people support unification with the West?
fastest route for FRG to become self governing and quickest way to rebuild economy
why did people oppose closer relations with West?
would hold back German unification
what happened in 1953 that made it harder for smaller parties to gain a seat?
changes to vote allocations and seats
what happened in 1952 and 1956 that ensured political stability?
1952 SPD banned
1956 KPD declared unconstitutional and banned
how many parties were in the Bundestag after 1956?
3
what did Article 131 of the Basic Law announced, why was this opposed?
allowed ex-Nazis to work in civil service, people felt it went too far and showed Nazi sympathy
why was Adenauer’s creation of a gov controlled television station declared unconstitutional?
executive branch interfered with legislative branch through elections, gov having too much control over the people
what was the Der Spiegel affair, when was it?
Oct 1962, magazine published article criticising performance of troops in NATO exercises, Adenauer supported arrest of journalists, had to resign
what was the Grand Coalition?
coalition between two largest political parties - SPD and CSU
what did Brandt favour that remained popular until 1989?
Ostpolitik- establishing closer relations with East Germany
how often was the president elected under the basic law?
every 5 years
what was the 5% rule?
parties had to have 5% of vote to have seats in gov
how many Lander was the basic law ratified by?
2/3s
what imperative was accepted by everyone immediately after the war?
need to de-Nazify
when was the only time turnout was below 84%?
1949
what does high turnout show?
high levels of support and willingness to participate in democracy
what showed people supported democracy itself not just a democratic gov?
people demonstrated against gov changes that restricted democracy + civil liberties
marched against repressive regimes in other countries
how did the figure for number of people who favoured the restoration of the monarchy change?
1/3 supported restoration down to 1/10
what was integral to political stability?
economic stability
how was economic stability maintained?
social market economy, currency reform, economic miracle, trade + exports, good standard of living
how did joining NATO help the FRG?
improved trade, closer relations with other countries, boost trade able to produce war materials
what could the Allied High Command do if the gov was at risk of extremism?
could take over the government
what did the Basic Law assert was the primary duty of government?
the protection of human rights and dignity
how was the Bundestag elected?
universal suffrage
1/2 seats directly elected
1/2 seats based on % of votes each party received
how was the Federal Constitutional Court elected, what was its role?
16 judges half elected by Bundestag half elected by Bundesrat
guardian of the constitution
what was the rule of law?
constitutional court upheld the law and ensured the gov acted legally, power to guarantee basic civil right and arbitrate disputes
what was different about a no confidence vote?
chancellor couldn’t be removed by one unless an alternative party ready to take power with sufficient support
what was the role of the president like?
elected for one term only, ceremonial role, little political responsibility
how did Adenauer increase CDU support?
appealed to rural and urban voters, attracted middle ground of politics, favoured stability
what was the Construction Law of 1950?
grants provided to Lander to encourage large scale building projects
what had the construction law resulted in by 1957?
building of 4 million new homes
what was the Equalisation of Burdens Act 1952?
offered compensation to victims of wartime bombing
what was the OEEC?
organisation for european economic cooperation
when was the FRG accepted into NATO?
May 1955
how many refugees from the GDR fled to West Germany in 1953, 1957 and first months of 1961?
1953- 331,390
1957-261,620
1961-155,400
how did the SPD change its policies at the Bad Godesberg conference to become the key opposition to the CDU/CSU?
new commitment to defence and European economic integration
amended its constitution
