The decline of Adenauer + conclusions of him Flashcards
What are factors that contributed towards the decline of Adenauer?
his political error in 1959
his handling of the Berlin Wall
his handling of the Der Spiegel Crisis
When did Adenauer make a political error?
1959
What political error did Adenauer make in 1959?
with elections due for the presidency of the Republic, he announced his intention to run and then withdrew
his indecision damaged both his image & his reputation
Why did Adenauer want to run for the presidency of the Republic?
saw it as an opportunity to prolong his influence after he stopped being chancellor & to prevent an SPD nominee from winning
How did Adenauer handle the Berlin Wall?
he failed to intervene + virtually ignored the crisis, postponing a visit for 2 days while he carried out other routine engagements
Who dealt with the Berlin Wall rather than Adenaur?
Willy Brandt
he offered the strong response on behalf of freedom & democracy rather than Adenaur
Who was Willy Brandt?
the SPD mayor of West Berlin
What was the impact of the way Adenauer dealt with the Berlin Wall crisis?
damaged his reputation
when he did finally go to West Berlin, he was met with jeers
When President Kennedy visited West Berlin in 1963, Brandt was again placed at the centre of German affairs rather than Adenauer
When was the Der Spiegel crisis?
late 1962
What happened in the Der Spiegel affair?
the Der Spiegel magazine published an article that was critical of the readiness of West German defence forces
When questioned on it, the defence minister misled the Bundestag
Matters made worse as the gov appeared to be silencing the magazine by raiding its offices & arresting some of its journalists
What were the impacts of the Der Spiegel affair?
caused a public outcry, as it appeared that the gov were acting like a dictatorship + attempting to silence the press
Defence Minister lost his job after lying about his involvement in the arrests
Adenauer resigned the following year
When did Adenauer resign?
1963
What were the positives of Adenauer’s chancellorship?
his 14 years in office were largely successful
he was able to establish a stable democracy + preside over a period of sustained economic growth + rising standards of living - all of which had eluded Weimar Republic
West Germ had been integrated into Western Europe more fully than in period after WW1, despite horrors of WW2
West Germ not only integrated, but taken back as equal
“return of 10,000” - POWs, 1955
Oversaw the reintegration of Saarland with West Germ 1957
What were the negatives of Adenauer’s chancellorship?
cemented division of Germ + abandoned East Germ eg didn’t agree to unite 2 states into single, disarmed Germ when offered in 1952
he had been too quick to try to forget the Nazi past + look to the future eg trials for war crimes reminded Germ of horrors of Nazi period
wanted to base the entire social & political make-up of West Germ around his personal views, had trust issues - criticised for his era being culturally + politically conservative
outstayed his time in office
criticised for being a ‘chancellor of the Allies’ + for sacrificing Germany’s national interests
What evidence shows that Adenauer was popular/successful with public?
he was voted the “greatest German of all time” by the German public
he was honoured with a state funeral, that was attended by every international key figure
he became the political father & most influential leader of the emerging young democracy of West Germ
re-elected for 4 elections
