Theme 1- Political and Governmental Change 1945-1989 Flashcards
What was the situation in post war Germany?
Economic ruins as the currency collapsed, 4 million Germans were dead, severe housing shortage, buildings destroyed. The government introduced a Year Zero plan to build Germany back up again from nothing.
What was decided at the Potsdam Conference?
- De-Nazification
- De-militarisation
- Deindustrialisation
- Democratisation
When did Trizonia become the Federal Republic of Germany?
23rd May 1949 with the creation of the Basic Law.
Why did the Allies give so much assistance to Germany post war?
Imposing ToV style punishments would just lead to resentment and opposition like it did after WW1 and they didn’t want Germany starting another war. They wanted to help Germany recover so that Germany could become an ally against the USSR in the Cold War. Germany was very weak after the war so economic sanctions were unnecessary, especially when they wanted to help German recovery.
How did political parties change?
The SPD’s policies became more radical than the KPD’s policies as the KPD became a lot less radical and supportive of democracy because of the Cold War. Two Christian parties were set up when the major religious party in Weimar had been Catholic (the ZP). They all wanted to avoid the divisions of the 1920s that had helped the Nazis come to power so they were more willing to cooperate. However, a small number of liberal centrist parties still existed and formed the FDP.
What did the Basic Law promise to citizens?
A free and liberal parliamentary democracy with equal rights, free speech and no censorship, universal suffrage over 18 and free state education.
How did the voting structure change?
The Bundestag was made up of 598 seats: half elected through first past the post and half through proportional representation. Each party also had to receive at least 5% of the vote to have any seats in the Bundestag to prevent the rise of extremist fringe parties.
How did the Chancellor’s position change?
The Chancellor became the most powerful figure who was the leader of the largest party in the Bundestag and he couldn’t be removed by a vote of no confidence unless an alternative leader could form a majority in the Bundestag.
What did Article 21 of the Basic Law allow the FRG to do?
Parties could be banned by the Federal Constitutional Court if they were undemocratic .
How did the role of federal governments change?
Länder governments had more power than under Nazi or Weimar. All federal bills had to be submitted to the Bundesrat (federal council with members from Lander governments) for approval.
How did the role of the President change?
The President became a ceremonial figure who had no emergency powers. He could only stand for one election and could not remove the Chancellor.
What were the election trends in the FRG like?
The vote was very close in 1949 but the gap between the CDU/CSU and the SPD increased over time. Coalitions still exist but they were more stable and less complicated. Adenauer even managed a majority of the vote in 1957. Elections took place every 4 years.
What were Adenauer’s main goals as Chancellor?
He was a pragmatic politician and favoured the middle ground of politics to appeal to moderates who favoured stability over experimentation. Had the famous slogan ‘No experiments’ which appealed to conservatives. He also wanted to win the support of former Nazi supporters and even included 39 former Nazis in his new foreign ministry. He had strong anti-communist sentiment and wanted to develop relations with Western Europe.
What did the Collective Bargaining Law on Industrial Relations 1949 and the Work Consultation Law 1952 do?
Maintained labour relations and encouraged workers to participate in the decision making process within the workplace. They also created fewer strikes so Adenauer’s government could focus on continuing to grow the economy.
What did the Construction Law 1950 do?
Provided grants to Länder and cities to encourage large scale building projects. By 1957, this had resulted in 4 million new homes being built.
What did the Equalisation of Burdens Act 1952 do?
It was the most significant redistribution of income in German history and by 1998, DM126 billion had been raised by the 5% tax on citizens with a net worth of more than DM5000.
Which domestic policy was unsuccessful and put the social welfare budget under considerable pressure?
The Pensions Act 1957.
When did the FRG join the EEC?
1949 and it became a key member of the EEC.
When did the FRG join NATO and what were the conditions on this?
May 1955- the FRG had to renounce the adoption of nuclear weapons and limit the size of the army. They were allowed to rearm once they had joined NATO.
What was the Hallstein Doctrine?
1955- Stated that the FRG would cut off diplomatic relations with any country except the USSR which recognised the GDR.
When did the SPD become less radical and agree to support membership of NATO and the EEC and to continue the successful economic policies?
Bad Godesberg Party Congress 1959
Which mistakes did Adenauer make that resulted in his resignation in October 1963?
- He was widely criticised for not visiting Berlin in 1961 when the Berlin Wall was constructed.
- He was heavily criticised for trying to make himself President in 1959 when he was still Chancellor.
- Der Spiegel Affair (journalists arrested for criticising the army) made many people worry that the government was becoming too authoritarian.
What were the successes of Adenauer’s government?
By 1963, living standards in the FRG were among the highest in the West and their economy was one of the largest in the world. The FRG had become a stable, prosperous and major European nation and was a member of the EEC and NATO.
What were the failures of Adenauer’s government?
He was criticised for using former Nazis in his government- 39 in 1949. His policies of closer relations with NATO and the West would also make it more difficult to reunite Germany.
