The Creation of the FRG and the Impact of the new constitution

Question 1

What are West Germany’s initials?

Answer 1

FRG

Question 2

What are East Germany’s initials?

Answer 2

GDR

Question 3

What was the capital of West Germany?

Answer 3

Bonn

Question 4

What was the capital of East Germany?

Answer 4

East Berlin

Question 5

What was the purpose of the Yalta and Potsdam conference?

Answer 5

Destroy German militarianism and Nazism and ensure that Germany will never be able to disturb the peace of the world

Question 6

Which zone was the fastest in establishing democracy?

Answer 6

USA

Question 7

When were Germans in the USA zone allowed to vote in local elections?

Answer 7

January 1946

Question 8

When were Germans allowed to vote in town and county elections?

Answer 8

March 1946

Question 9

When were elections for Lander parliaments set up in the US zone?

Answer 9

June 1946

Question 10

When were elections for Lander parliaments held in the British and French zones?

Answer 10

May 1947

Question 11

When were ministers in the FRG instructed to design a new constitution?

Answer 11

1948

Question 12

Who were the 2 main parties in the 1946-47 elections?

Answer 12

CDU and SPD

Question 13

Who made up the CDU?

Answer 13

A conglomoration of supporters of the old Centre Party, German Nationalists and Populists

Question 14

Who did the CDU represent?

Answer 14

Both catholics and protestant middle class in the north and south

Question 15

Who did the SPD represent?

Answer 15

Workers

Question 16

What were the SPD more than the CDU?

Answer 16

Unified and centrally directed

Question 17

What were the similarities between the Weimar and the new Constitution?

Answer 17

• Welfare state
• Judiciary/civil service
• Proportional Representation
• Federalised state
• Bill of Rights
• Universal suffrage

Question 18

What were the differences between the Weimar constitution and the new constition?

Answer 18

• No Article 48
• Prussia permanatley erased as a state
• Lander more balanced
• Different voting system
• No more elected presidents

Question 19

How many members of Lander parliaments met in Berlin to create the new constitution (constitutional convention)?

Answer 19

65

Question 20

How many members of the constitutional convention were from the CDU, SPD and smaller parties?

Answer 20

• 27 from SPD
• 27 from CDU
• 11 from smaller parties

Question 21

When was the new constitution created?

Answer 21

September 1848

Question 22

How were the roles of the Judiciary and civil service similar to Weimar?

Answer 22

Politically independent

Question 23

How was the voting system different to the Weimar system?

Answer 23

Germans voted twice - once for direct representative for district and one for their faveourite party

Question 24

How was the lander more balanced than in the Weimar system?

Answer 24

• Given more power to look after the people in their state
• Control over education and administration
• Taxes split between government and lander

Question 25

What couldn’t West Berliners do?

Answer 25

Vote in Federal elections

Question 26

Why didn’t West Berlin have state elections?

Answer 26

It wasn’t considered a Lander

Question 27

How many members of the Berlin Assembly sat in the Bunderstag?

Answer 27

22

Question 28

How many members of the Berlin Assembly sat in the Bunderstat?

Answer 28

4

Question 29

What couldn’t the members of the Berlin Assembly do in the Bunderstat?

Answer 29

Vote on laws

Question 30

Who was the local authority in West Berlin?

Answer 30

Mayor

Question 31

What did the mayor of west Berlin have to have?

Answer 31

Approval of the Western Occupying powers

Question 32

What could West Berlin do to federal laws and what was the most famous example?

Answer 32

They could reject ferderal laws e.g. they refused military conscription in the 1950s happening in west berlin