The Creation of the FRG and the Impact of the new constitution Flashcards
What are West Germany’s initials?
FRG
What are East Germany’s initials?
GDR
What was the capital of West Germany?
Bonn
What was the capital of East Germany?
East Berlin
What was the purpose of the Yalta and Potsdam conference?
Destroy German militarianism and Nazism and ensure that Germany will never be able to disturb the peace of the world
Which zone was the fastest in establishing democracy?
USA
When were Germans in the USA zone allowed to vote in local elections?
January 1946
When were Germans allowed to vote in town and county elections?
March 1946
When were elections for Lander parliaments set up in the US zone?
June 1946
When were elections for Lander parliaments held in the British and French zones?
May 1947
When were ministers in the FRG instructed to design a new constitution?
1948
Who were the 2 main parties in the 1946-47 elections?
CDU and SPD
Who made up the CDU?
A conglomoration of supporters of the old Centre Party, German Nationalists and Populists
Who did the CDU represent?
Both catholics and protestant middle class in the north and south
Who did the SPD represent?
Workers
What were the SPD more than the CDU?
Unified and centrally directed
What were the similarities between the Weimar and the new Constitution?
- Welfare state
- Judiciary/civil service
- Proportional Representation
- Federalised state
- Bill of Rights
- Universal suffrage
What were the differences between the Weimar constitution and the new constition?
- No Article 48
- Prussia permanatley erased as a state
- Lander more balanced
- Different voting system
- No more elected presidents
How many members of Lander parliaments met in Berlin to create the new constitution (constitutional convention)?
65
How many members of the constitutional convention were from the CDU, SPD and smaller parties?
- 27 from SPD
- 27 from CDU
- 11 from smaller parties
When was the new constitution created?
September 1848
How were the roles of the Judiciary and civil service similar to Weimar?
Politically independent
How was the voting system different to the Weimar system?
Germans voted twice - once for direct representative for district and one for their faveourite party
How was the lander more balanced than in the Weimar system?
- Given more power to look after the people in their state
- Control over education and administration
- Taxes split between government and lander
