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Politics and Government: 1949-89 - Coggle Diagram
Politics and Government: 1949-89
political authority: 1949-1963
constitution
basic law 1949 (grundgesetz) - democratic and federal state creation
guarded by a federal constitutional court; included a statement of civil rights guaranteeing freedom of expression, assembly, association and movement for all German citizens
electorate - free, equal and entitled to vote (2 votes - local rep and party) = mix of prop. rep. + FPTP
elections - every 4 years, time for accountability but not too often to create instability
federal system - vote for local lander and central bundestag = check the other
bundestag - 5% rule (min. 5% to get a seat) - prevents minority parties
bundesrat - amend/ delay legislation, veto laws, check bundestag
statement of rights - built into constitution no matter who is elected = democracy
federal chancellor and government - approved by bundestag, removed by vote of no confidence, needs bundestag majority to rule
Adenauer
adenauer became first chancellor of FRG in 1949 as head of CDU/ CSU. with theodor heuss as chancellor of federal republic
CDU/ CSU only secured 31% of vote in 1949 forcing a coalition with smaller parties
support grew in 1953 election and by 1957 they had 50.2% of the vote gaining an absolute majority
coalition consisted of CDU/ CSU, FDP, DP
FDP - served in multiple coalitions, formed of many minor parties in 1945, socially and economically liberal
CDU/ CSU - moderative conservative, ex zentrum - CSU was 'bavarian sister' party
SPD - redeveloped former party, godesberg programme 1959 = change from socialist working class to middle class
chancellor democracy
many small parties competed in 1949 elections reflecting the weimar years, so adenauer intended to create a CDU/ CSU majority for stability
CDU/ CSU benefitted from support of ex-zentrum catholics = just over 1/2 of west german population
economic upturn of sustained economic growth and improvements in living standards
reduced number of competing political parties by having 2 anti-democracy parties declared illegal by west german constitutional court - KPD in 1956 and SRP in 1952
1951 reinstatement act - many ex-nazis reinstated to civil service, in early 50's 40-80% of officials = former nazi's, 39/49 senior members = former nazi party members
1952 - paid 100bn DM to israel for compensation of nazi persecution of Jews
weakness of opposition
coalition success due to political dominance and flexibility = success
5% rule minimised opposition
schumacher (leader of SPD) pursued electorally unattractive policies
internal SPD divisions over rearmament, remilitarisation and viewed as working class at a time of affluence
policy: 49-57
1949 - collective bargaining law - participation of workers in decision making of factories
1950 - construction law - system of grants to lander to support large scale building/ housing projects (4m new houses by 1957)
1951/2 - co-determination law - ensured peaceful labour representations, by ensuring representation of them in management of large coal/ steel industries
1953 - equalisation of burdens act - compensation to victims of wartime bombings and victims of nazi crimes
1955 - FRG join NATO
1956 - creation of bundeswehr - armed security police
1957 - pensions act - index-linked = outweigh inflation
1957 - FRG joins EEC and EDC
policy: 57-63
1956 - FDP majority broke away from coalition
1957 SPD defeat reformed in 1959 bad godesberg programme - chose willi brandt as leader in 1960
1961 - the GDR erected the Berlin Wall between East and West
spiegel affair 1962 - bundeswehr arrest journalists who criticise them at night - FDP force resignation of adenauer and strauss (ordered arrest)
west german democracy by 63
1957 election slogan - 'keine experiment' - no experiments
60% of population 'preferred property, jobs, and the possibility of substantial income' to all 'democratic freedoms'
supported heavy handed police tactics in shwabing riots - showed lack of acceptance of extra-parliamentary opposition
government and opposition: 1963-89
chancellors after Adenauer
ludwig erhard 1963-66
adenauers former minister of economics - replaced in 1963 - 1965 elections gave CDU/ CSU 47.6% of vote
increased FDP vote and continued alliance allowed erhard to launch 'formierte gesellschaft' = disciplined society
1965 - beginning of recession and by 1966 inflation = 4% per annum
right-wing NPD, founded in 1964, enjoyed success due to govt. failure = no seats in '65 federal elections, but polled 8 in land elections in hesse and 15 seats in bavaria in 1965
FDP resigned from coalition in 1966 due to CDU/ CSU failure to persuade cuts in FRG spending on US troops, and differences in opinions on fiscal policy (CDU/ CSU = raise tax, FDP = cut spending)
forced erhard to resign in 1966 - replaced by Kiesinger as chancellor
kiesinger formed temporary alliance with SPD under grand coalition - to address the economic crisis
kiesinger criticised by left-wingers for his former nazi party membership
kiesinger coalition 1966-69
criticism increased in 1968 when coalition permitted amendment to constitution of elected council to take emergency measures in event of civil unrest = similar to Article 48
NPD gained 48 seats in 6 different lander in 1967, gaining 12 in 1968 in kiesingers own land = political agitation
allowed a DKP to form in 1968
SPD minister of economics and CDU minister of finance allowed policy giving central govt. control over lander spending - revived economic fortunes and confidence by 1969
beginning of coalition divisions as SPD felt CDU/ CSU were holding back welfare reforms
1969 bundestag elections gave SPD and FDP majority of shared 48.1%, with willi brandt as leader
brandt and scheel (FDP) agreed to socialist-liberal coalition
willy brandt 1969-74
elected in 1969 by 251;249 votes - first SPD chancellor since 1930 - promised to 'dare more democracy'
reform of criminal law, voting age lowered to 18, rise in pensions, extension of educational provision for the poor, provision for more social housing, job creation schemes, promotion of railways
social reforms demanded increased govt. spending, exacerbated by Germany's growing inflation - caused divisions in left and right wing on fiscal policy response
controversy over brandts ostpolitik (eastern policy with GDR) meant in 1972 he only survived a vote of no confidence by 2 votes - obtained by bribery
prizes awarded to brandt: freedom of city of berlin in 1970, nobel peace prize in 1971 for ostpolitik, freedom of lubeck in 1972
SPD won biggest victory in 1972 - in 2nd term he struggled to control inflation though, worsened by 1973 oil crisis
brandt resigned in 1974 after his close adviser gunter guillaume handled confidential documents was arrested as an east german spy
helmut schmidt 1974-82
in 1976 general election the schmidt-genscher coalition of SPD and FDP only won a 2-seat majority
continued policy of ostpolitik
dealt with divisions over nuclear arms and stationing of US missiles in germany - emergence of pressure groups = 'greens' emerged in 1979 attracting some left-wing SPD voters
success of 1977 mogadishu incident
1982 = declining fortunes for SPD, while CDU/ CSU reinvigorated by Kohl - FDP withdrew from coalition in favour of Kohl leading to collapse of SPD govt.
helmut kohl: 1982-89
spoke of need for moral change
took measures to combat unemployment and revival of economy - struggled to control infighting between FDP Genscher and CSU Strauss
Kohl damaged by sleaze of illegal and secret donations to coalition parties with FDP finance minister forced to resign in 1984 due to allowing largest business to exempt from tax
bitburg affair - reagan visit to SS cemetery in WW2 40th anniversary commemoration = symbolic of uncaring attitude to nazi past
1987 CDU/ CSU vote declined to lowest since 1949 - saved by collapse of GDR
extra-parliamentary opposition: 1949-89
student protests of the 60's
'ohne mich' attitude of society under Adenauer contrasted to the enforced politicisation of Nazi era
many germans rejected the idea that their country had been responsible for the war - many still admired some aspects of hitler regime
emergence of some ' rock and roll loving' teddy boys in 50's created fears that youth was becoming americanised
older generation loved the unity from the coalition, but youth and far-left supporters believed germany was becoming too close to a 1-party state with only the small FDP able to contest
reasons for student protests
wider generation gap: first generation of post-hitler era, nursed convictions that parents generation were to blame for nazism
trial in 1963-65 of 17 former auschwitz guards guards, following eichamnn trial in 1960, provoked more outspoken debate about nazi past
suggestions FRG was turning into an authoritarian regime, with pointing towards the former Nazis in positions of power
1968 emergency laws confirmed heading in authoritarian regime - APO set up by SPD students federation
anti-american revulsion over vietnam war, usually leader of free world - sympathy with rebels such as ho chi minh and che guevara
germanys universities were overcrowded and outdated - many professors/ academics from the nazi era were still in post
birth of the protest movement
first manifestation of student demonstration was a sit in protest of 4000 students at the Free University of Berlin 1966
benno ohnesorgs death was the first political murder in the FRG - the june 2nd movement started in his name to avenge his death - by 1967 there were organised protests in nearly all of Germany's universities
june 1967 - state visit to berlin by shah of iran sparked large-scale protest against his repressive regime - police used heavy handed tactics, one protester was seized and shot
1968 - rudi dutschke (prominent leader of 2nd june movement) was shot and wounded, with 400 others injured and 2 dying
may 1968 - 80,000 demonstrated against kiesingers emergency legislation - by 1969 the APO reached its peak - the emergency leg was passed despite legislation
1968-69 - protests against vietnam war, atomic bomb, coalition govt., and 'bourgeois society'
urban terrorism
after 1969 people dirfted towards terrorism, with likes of ulrike meinhof and andreas baader forming the RAF (red army faction) - an underground guerrilla movement
saw west germany as a fascist nazi hangover - engaging in bombings, arson and bank robberies
in the early years they elicited some support from the left in a sense of 'robin hood' notoriety, but support waned in the 70's as activities grew more extreme and tactics more violent
group turned to train with PLO (palestine liberation organisation) and joined in more sensational events - such as mogadishu incident 1977
most members of RAF imprisoned in 1972 and demanded to be treated as political prisoners and went on hunger strikes, attracting amnesty internationals attention
in 1972, 1975 and 1976 and later 1977 the remaining members of RAF continued terrorist activities on demand for release from prison for prisoners
came to an end in 1992 after forming with french group 'action directe', and officially disbanded in 1998
after collapse of GDR, stasi supported remining members of RAF
environmentalism
many pressure groups emerged in the 70's to campaign against building of airport runways, motorways or nuclear power stations
farmers congress of 1973 appealed to young, pacifists, urban squatters and educated
environmental concerns continued to be cause of protest into 80's - pershing missiles in west germany provoked continuous demonstrations with 300,000 persons marching in 10 different cities in 1985
1986 november - bloody clashes between protesters and police at site of 2 nuclear reactors being built at wackersdorf and brokdorf
further clashes in 1987 when traditional may union day led to violent clashes with police