1.1 Political and Governmental Change - FRG

Question 1

When was the Potsdam Conference?

Answer 1

17 July - 2 August 1945

Question 2

What was decided at Potsdam?

Answer 2

Germany and Berlin divided into 4 zones
single economic unit
aim for same systems

Question 3

What was the first party established and when?

Answer 3

KPD (more moderate socialism)
11 June 1945

Question 4

What was the second party to form and when?

Answer 4

SPD (more radical than KPD)
15 June 1945

Question 5

What did the initial right wing look like?

Answer 5

two faith-based parties CDU and CSU
joined together in 1949

Question 6

What was the outcome of the October 1946 elections?

Answer 6

SED (KPD + SPD) won in Soviet zone, did much worse in others

Question 7

When was Basic Law announced?

Answer 7

23 May 1949

Question 8

What was the main concept of Basic Law?

Answer 8

free and liberal democracy
- equal rights to all citizens
- free speech

Question 9

What did Articles 20 and 21 allow?

Answer 9

right to resist anyone undermining the constitution
right to ban any undemocratic parties

Question 10

How was the President elected?

Answer 10

Every 5 years by Bundestag and Bundesrat

Question 11

How was the Bundestag elected?

Answer 11

Ever 4 years, vote for both a regional representative and a party

Question 12

How was the Bundesrat chosen?

Answer 12

representatives from and chosen by the Lander

Question 13

When was the FRG’s first election?

Answer 13

14 August 1949

Question 14

What was the outcome of the FRG’s first election?

Answer 14

CDU/CSU 31%
SPD 29%
Adenauer (CDU) became Chancellor

Question 15

When was the GDR’s constitution announced?

Answer 15

7 October 1949

Question 16

What was the Hallstein Doctrine?

Answer 16

1955
FRG refused to legally recognise GDR
FRG spoke for all of Germany
FRG would cut off relations with countries with relations to GDR

Question 17

What countries did FRG cut off for having relations with the GDR?

Answer 17

Yugoslavia 1957
Cuba 1963

Question 18

What is the order of all FRG chancellors and their parties?

Answer 18

Adenauer (CDU)
Erhard (CDU)
Kiesinger (CDU)
Brandt (SPD)
Schmidt (SPD)
Kohl (CDU)

Question 19

When was Adenauer chancellor?

Answer 19

1949-63

Question 20

What was Adenauer’s leadership style?

Answer 20

authoritarian, forceful
appointed weak ministers
amount of power criticised - ‘Chancellor democracy’

Question 21

What did Adenauer do to voting?

Answer 21

1953 - changed vote allocation - harder for smaller parties to gain seats
1957 - limited even further - became 3 party house with shifting coalitions (CDU/CSU, SPD, FDP)

Question 22

When was the Socialist Reich Party banned and why?

Answer 22

1952
extreme right wing

Question 23

When was the KPD banned?

Answer 23

1956

Question 24

When restoring the civil service, what was the policy?

Answer 24

Year zero

Question 25

What did Article 131 do and when was it added?

Answer 25

allowed ex-Nazis in civil service 11 May 1951

Question 26

How many ex-Nazis were working in the foreign ministry in 1952?

Answer 26

4

Question 27

What were some of Adenauer's concerning attempts to limit free speech?

Answer 27

Jan 1961 - tried to set up government controlled TV station - ruled unconstitutional by Supreme Court 28 Feb Oct 1962 - supported arrest of Der Spiegel journalists who criticised FRG's involvement in NATO

Question 28

Why did Adenauer resign?

Answer 28

pressure - FDP ministers had resigned, SPD coalition secured only by resigning

Question 29

What split happened within the CDU/CSU?

Answer 29

Atlanticists vs Gaulists

Question 30

When was Erhard chancellor?

Answer 30

1963-6

Question 31

What was Erhard's international policy?

Answer 31

Atlanticist

Question 32

What was Erhard's concerning policy?

Answer 32

tried to introduce emergency laws to tap phones, search homes, open mail - SPD refused to support

Question 33

What policy lead to Erhard's resignation?

Answer 33

introduced heavy taxation- FDP ministers resigned - could not form a coalition so Erhard resigned

Question 34

When was Kiesenger chancellor?

Answer 34

1966-9

Question 35

What was Kiesinger?

Answer 35

former Nazi Party member

Question 36

What was Germany like under Kiesinger?

Answer 36

economic downturn - opposition grew noe-Nazi National Democratic Party gained 48 Laender seats German Federation of Trade Unions student protests

Question 37

What did Kiesinger do to Basic Law?

Answer 37

28 June 1968 - amended to be more repressive and greater police power

Question 38

When was Brandt chancellor?

Answer 38

1969-74

Question 39

What were Brandt's beliefs?

Answer 39

younger generation: critical of year zero, supported Ostpolitik (relations with GDR)

Question 40

What changes did Brandt make?

Answer 40

decriminalised homosexuality reduced voting age to 18

Question 41

What did the CDU to try and get rid of Brandt?

Answer 41

'constructive vote of no confidence' Barzel named as replacement failed by 2 votes

Question 42

What did Brandt do in response to the CDU's attempt to get rid of him?

Answer 42

Nov 1972 - called an early election highest turnout ever, SPD won - vote of confidence in him

Question 43

When did Brandt resign and why?

Answer 43

24 May 1974 despite his party's support advisor was discovered to be GDR spy

Question 44

When was Schmidt chancellor and how?

Answer 44

1974-82 no viable CDU candidate

Question 45

What were Schmidt's policies?

Answer 45

high taxation and welfare cuts conservative for an SPD member

Question 46

Why did Schmidt fail to push through his economic policies?

Answer 46

growing opposition from Green Party

Question 47

Why did Schmidt resign?

Answer 47

forced to by 'constructive vote of no confidence' 1 Oct 1982

Question 48

When was Kohl chancellor?

Answer 48

1982-98

Question 49

What were Kohl's policies?

Answer 49

Ostpolitik, stability

Question 50

What was happening with all parties except the Green Party during Kohl's chancellorship?

Answer 50

media was uncovering corruption

Question 51

When did East Germany relax travel restrictions?

Answer 51

1 Jan 1989

Question 52

When did East Germany remove all travel restrictions?

Answer 52

9 Nov 1989