Germany Booklet 10: (FRG) Opposition, control and consent 1949-89 Flashcards
(36 cards)
What are three good signs showing opposition was at a minimum in the 1950s?
Minimal support for the Socialist reich party and the KPD
Both of these were banned without significant protest in 1952 and 56 respectively
Weren’t any organised protest groups demanding alternate lifestyles
What were the potential reasons for the rising tensions with students in the 1960s?
Unis underfunded
Students lacked representation on governing bodies
Unis overcrowded - main teaching method was lectures - attended by huge numbers of students
Increasing influence of USA and perceived FRG governmental support for vietnam war
Government’s failure to completely remove former Nazis from positions of responsibility
Introduction of more conservative policies after Bad Godesberg Conference
Increased military spending and participation in NATO - fear this would lead to deployment of nuclear weapons in FRG
What happened in 1964 with regards to the student opposition
1964 Georg Picht writes series of articles arguing German education was in state of crisis - shortage of teachers and resources
Student protest against state of university education + lack of student representation on uni governing boards starts at the Free University in Berlin
State government responded with foundation of five new universities in 1964
What happened in 1965 with regards to the student opposition
May 1965 - Free University authorities banned radical journalist Erich Kuby from speaking against the Vietnam war
May 1965 - students went on strike
What happened in 1966 with regards to the student opposition
Feb - 2500 Free University students held anti-war protests against vietnam war
June - Free University protests called for more say in university affairs for students
Government responded to student protests - Stollenberg announced increase in funding for unis - DM260,000 - twice the 1955 figure
What happened in 1967 with regards to the student opposition
June - protests against Shah of Iran visit to Berlin - student was shot dead by police officer
Sparked widespread and sometimes violent protest across FRG - targeted at media empire of Axel Springer - supported the officer and attacked new left
What happened in 1968 with regards to the student opposition
April - Rudi Dutschke shot by Neo-Nazi gunman - sparked a wave of new student protests - many blamed Springer newspapers for encouraging the attempt
What were the APO?
A loose grouping of students and trade unions which felt radical protest was their only was to force change
What did the APO do?
Initially focused on strikes, marches and demonstrations
What impact did the APO have?
Impact was limited and group faded by the mid 1960s, especially in terms of student membership
After they graduated, many conformed and accepted careers in society
What was the political argument of the AOP
Against the fact thst the Bundtyag was dominated by parties that basically agreed on major issues, especially after the election of 1966 in which the two major parties formed a grand coalition, controlling 90% of seats
what were the SDS?
The student wing of the SPD, but when the SPD became more conservative, the SDS became more radical
What was the political argument of the SDS?
They acted against the Vietnam war, nuclear weapons in the FRG and former Nazis holding a position of power. From 1966 they became a vocal opposition group to the grand coalition
What did the SDS do?
They used tactics such as student sit-ins at university and mass demonstrations
What impact did the SDS have?
By the late 1960s they had control of the national student body, the UDS
What was the membershup of the Baader-Meinhof gang?
Primarily young-middle class, educated West Germans who were disillusioned with the FRG’s political system.
What were the main ideas of the Baader-Meinhop Gang?
They believed that intellectual argument as useless against the forces of the establishment and that direct action was necessary
They wanted the destruction of consumerism,. and end to the Vietnam war and the desire of the FRG itself, although the never really explained what they would replace it with
What were the actions of the Baader-Meinhof?
At first it consisted of arson and sabotage, they then began bombing and assassinating to achieve their goals
april 1975 - West German Embassy siege in Stockholm- to release RAF leaders such as Andreas Baader - they set off a bomb and four people died.
What were the results of the public poll in 1970 about the terrorist movements?
One in five Germans felt sympathy for the Baader-Meinhof gang whilst 5% said that they would be prepared to allow a gang member to stay for the night
Outline the background to the Emergency Law of 1968
No emergency laws included in basic law
Attempts were made to introduce emergency laws in 1958, 1960 and 1963 by were not passed
Only the FDP opposed the laws in the Reichstag
There were widespread protests by students and trade unions - 30,000 turned out for a march on Bonn in May 1968
What was the main and most controversial section of the Emergency Law 1968?
Article 10 which stated that:
Mail and phone calls could be interpreted
Freedom of movement could be restricted
Certain jobs could be barred
What was the purpose of ther Emergency law of 1968?
allowed greater powers of arrest and surveillance. In the short term it helped the police to control and reduce the amount of student protests that were taking place
What were immediate consequences of the introduction of the 1968 emergency law?
Some Germans were massively against it and it led to protests in the street. It led to the formal ending of the 1948 statue of Occupation, which gave the allied powers the right to take control of the FRG in the event of an emergency
What were the long term consequences of the Emergency law of 1968?
It paved the way for other counter-terrorism measures, such as stopping media publication of RAF ideas. By 1977 the FRG police had more than 60,000 people under surveillance. Many citizens feared terrorism and supported the government’s stance, stating that those with nothing to fear had nothing to hide.
