Politics after Adenauer

Question 1

When was Erhard Chancellor? What party?

Answer 1

1963-66
CDU

Question 2

When was Kiesinger chancellor? What party?

Answer 2

1966-69
CSU

Question 3

When was Brandt chancellor? What party?

Answer 3

1969-74
SPD

Question 4

When was Schmidt Chancellor? What party?

Answer 4

1974-82
SPD

Question 5

When was Kohl Chancellor? What party?

Answer 5

1982-98
CDU

Question 6

What happened during Erhard’s chancellorship?

Answer 6

He further developed Adenauer’s atlanticist policies

Question 7

What Foreign policy did Kiesinger’s chancellorship pursue?

Answer 7

A shift towards Ostpolitik- Rejecting the Hallstein doctrine and working with the GDR

Question 8

What did rising opposition under Kiesinger’s chancellorship push him to do?

Answer 8

It pushed the government to be more repressive- The Emergency law 1968 was passed through the Bundestag (The SPD had previously strongly objected to the proposed legislation)

Question 9

What foreign policy direction did Brandt’s SPD/FDP coalition government pursue? What was the outcome of this?

Answer 9

He pushed ahead with the policy of Ostpolitik, which remained a policy of FRG governments until 1989. Brandt’s commitment to the policy was met with serious opposition in the Bundestag, as were several more liberal measures his government passed.

Question 10

What liberal measures that Brandt passed precipitated opposition?

Answer 10

-Decriminalisation of Homosexuality
-Reducing the voting age to 18

Question 11

What party worked hard to undermine Brandt’s SPD/FDP coalition?

Answer 11

CSU

Question 12

What happened between 1970 and 1972?

Answer 12

Several FDP and SPD members joined the CDU and forced a ‘constructive vote of no confidence’ on Brandt and Ostpolitik.

Question 13

How much did the 1970 constructive vote of no confidence fail by in the Bundestag?

Answer 13

2 votes

Question 14

How did Brandt respond to the ‘constructive vote of no confidence’?

Answer 14

He called a general election and his party the SPD, won the most seats

Question 15

What was discovered about Brandt’s government in 1974?

Answer 15

1974- That one of Brandt’s advisors was a spy and he thus felt compelled to resign, despite the support of this party and others in the Bundestag

Question 16

What problems was Schmidt’s government confronted with?

Answer 16

Domestic and Economic upheaval

Question 17

What was Schmidt accused of? What was the consequence of this?

Answer 17

-Adopting right-wing economic measures (eg high taxation & welfare cuts)
-Faced growing opposition for his failure to pass economic policies through the Bundestag

Question 18

What new political force presented Schmidt’s government with a threat?

Answer 18

The Green Party, which was established in 1980 following a culminating concern regarding environmental issues during the 1970’s and 1980’s

Question 19

Why did Schmidt’s FDP-SPD coalition begin to fall apart?

Answer 19

While representatives of the left-wing of the Social Democratic Party opposed reduction of the state expenditures, the FDP began proposing a monetarist economic policy. In February 1982, Schmidt won a motion of confidence; however on 17 September 1982, the coalition broke apart, with the four FDP ministers leaving his cabinet.

Question 20

When was Schmidt forced to resign?

Answer 20

1982; a constructive vote of no confidence in the Bundestag forced him to resign

Question 21

What policies of previous governments did Chancellor Kohl further develop?

Answer 21

-Ostpolitik
-Economic policy

Question 22

Was there political extremism under Chancellor Kohl’s chancellorship?

Answer 22

A sustained outbreak of terrorism directed at other governments and German institutions occurred (eg the bombing of the US airbases in Rein-Main and Frankfurt airport in 1985)

Question 23

What did Kohl work for?

Answer 23

The unification of Germany, which seemed quite a distant prospect. However by 1989 the GDR was under increased pressure to open its borders- Jan ,1 1989 the GDR relaxed its travel restrictions