The Federal Republic of Germany 1949-1963

Question 1

What was guarenteed by the new basic law?

Answer 1

• Freedom of expression
• Freedom of assembly
• Freedom of association
• Freedom of movement
• FRG committed to working towards German unity, and to recognise all people of German decent as citizens of the FRG
• Election every 4 years, minimum 5% of vote to get seats, mixture of PR and First Past the Post

Question 2

Governmental Structure of the FRG

Answer 2

FEDERAL PRESIDENT, appoints (with approval from the Bundestag) FEDERAL GOVERNMENT/CHANCELLOR ^
BUNDESTAG: 598 members, elected every 4 years > Constitutes FEDERAL CONVENTION (Bundestag members plus equal number of members elected by state parliaments) who elect president

STATE PARLIAMENTS control STATE GOVERNMENTS,
—>State governments constitute BUNDESRAT: composed of 69 members of state government. Can amend/delay legislation and veto laws effecting the lander
—-> They elect SUPREME COURT of 16 judges for one term. They help elect president

Question 3

Increasing political stability in Adenauer’s first two terms in office (1949-1953/1953-1957)

Answer 3

• CDU/CSU coalition in 1949 had only 31% vote
• Early elections, extremists on left/right and 12 parties represented in Bundestag so real threat of political fragmentation
• Socialist Reich Party (SRP) outlawed 1952, KPD in 1956 as anti democratic. 5% rule helped prevent extremists from gaining representation and economic upturn lessened their appeal
• Adenauer had been reliant on smaller parties in early years, showed willingness to work with everyone and appeal to all sectors of society. Appealed to veterans/ex nazis, 9 million ethic germans expelled from the East and refugees from East Germany
• 50% of West Germany Catholic, so CDU would appeal. Made it appeal to all Xns. CSU Catholic electorate in Bavaria.
• 50.2% majority for CDU/CSU by September 1957. Parliamentary democracy working with flexible coalition and main parties (CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP)

Question 4

Domestic policies of Adenauer’s government 1949-1957

Answer 4

• Reconstruction: providing housing for Germans and refugees. April 1950 construction law, grants to Lander for building projects. Government assisted housing/apartment building scheme, 4 million new dwellings by 1957
• Integration of refugees: Government programmes integrated refugees. 1957 election, Alliance of Expellees and Disenfranchised persons did not make 5% and were removed from Bundestag
• Compensation: Payments to victims of war crimes, Equalisation of Burdens Act (1953) compensated victims of bombing campaigns. Money gathered from 50% levy on land/building/capital assets in West Germany over 30 years. 1978, 110.4 billion DM redistributed

Question 5

Welfare improvements under Adenauer’s government 1949-1957

Answer 5

-Pensions Act 1957. Rise of 60-75% in pension payments

Question 6

Economic policy of Adenauer’s government 1949-1957

Answer 6

-Good labour relations: Collective Bargaining Law on Industrial Relations (April 1949)

-‘Co-Determination’: Workers participated in decision making in factories/ firms from 1950. 1951: all coal/steel/joint stock companies with 1000+ workers
needed worker representation at managerial level

-1952 Works Constitution Law: worker councils for all enterprises with 20+ employees

Question 7

Adenauer’s ‘Citizens’ Army’

Answer 7

• Revision to basic law
• German Citizens’ Army formed 1956
• Initial hostility, but public opinion won over by view that the citizens were protecting democratic values of the state
• Parliamentary Chief Commissioner appointed to oversee development so it could never become independent force like old Reichswehr (German army of the inter-war years)

Question 8

Bonn Conventions

Answer 8

• May 1957
• FRG sovereign state and joined European Defence Community (EDC)
• Adenauer’s view that strengthening FRG would be at the expense of unity won over

Question 9

Reasons for Adenauer’s longevity as chancellor

Answer 9

• Secure coalition
• Cautions and pragmatic, slogan: “no experiments”. Germans content to live peacefully/privately, only active in politics to ensure continuation of government with good track record, a ‘count me out’ attitude. Surveys of time show 60% population prefered this lifestyle to all democratic freedoms
• Fear of communism: Americanisation of Western Germany, developments in East, KPD banned 1956 and SPD also discredited
• SPD weakness: Schumacher refused to align with West, insistence on unification which was becoming unlikely. Predictions that capitalist economy wouldn’t work were proved very wrong. Internal division over rearmament, and seen as working class when many identified as middle
• Reintegrated old nazis so he could use them. War crimes disregarded. 1951 Reinstatement Act, early 1950s, 40-80% of officials in civil service ex ndsap

Question 10

Economic situation in the FRG 1948-50

Answer 10

• Brief boom, growth of 30% early 1948
• Economy slowing again 1950, unemployment at 2 000 000, rising prices=inflation
• Martial aid providing for 37% of imports

Question 11

The social market economy

Answer 11

• Middle way between free market and state controlled socialist economy. Erhard supported the free market
• Businesses left to develop independently, offering competitive rates, but state would police/intervene. Work creation schemes 1950 to fix unemployment but otherwise government passive
• 1951, Investment Aid Law, government subsidy of 3.2 m DM for manufacturing industry
• One union per industry under German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) ‘social partnership’ of workers/employers = low strike record

Question 12

Was West Germany’s economic boom in 1950/60 ‘Miraculous’?

Answer 12

Miraculous:

• 3rd largest economy in the world
• Income of West German house up 400% 1950-70
• 8% per year growth, unemployment at 0.5%, investment increased by 5% from 1950/60. Reconstruction meant demand for comfortable homes= wage increases
• Comfortable standard of living in keeping with Erhard’s slogan “wealth for all!”
• Government mostly passive apart from minor interventions. Ie Investment Aid Law 1951 3.2 m DM for manufacturing industry/work creation schemes in 1950s

Less Miraculous/impressive

• Adenauer’s idea to integrate West Germany into European Coal and Steel Community/European Economic Community (from 1957)
• Solid economic foundations predating WW2: good ports, abundant coal/raw materials, skilled workforce aided by Eastern refugees
• External factors: Korean war 1950, Global boom 1951, Marshal aid gave 1.5 billion in 1948-52
• No money left aside for rearmament

Question 13

Impact of Economic and Social developments in the FRG

Answer 13

• Social market economy of 1950s aimed to serve society as a whole
• However only served to widen the gap between the rich and the poor…this was masked by overall living standards rise
• Self employed decreased, industrial workforce increased
• -> Low wages/ wealth concentrated in a few, but feeling of affluence due to high consumption/living standards
• Made people to readily forget pasts, or encouraged anti communist feelings?
• Economic recovery made it easier to integrate refugees. 8000 000 came from Yugoslavia/Italy/Turkey under Gastarbeiter scheme of late 1950s, to fill areas of worker shortage. Became permanent, 10% of workforce by 1970s