Post 1945 Politics

Question 1

The Allies held a conferece outside Postdam, just outside Berllin, to plan Germanys reconstruction, how were Germany and Berlin divided?

Answer 1

Into 4 zones run by Britain, USSR, France and USA and Berlin itself was split into 4 zones (inside the USSR zone)

Question 2

What was the first party to announce itself on the 11th June?

Answer 2

KPD

Question 3

What was the Marshall plan and how does it relate to the USSR and the West?

Answer 3

The Marshall Plan, set up in 1947, to give economic help to European countries that might otherwise take help from the USSR gaining a greater influence and then turn that country communist

Question 4

What did the Basic Law promise?

Answer 4

1)Equal rights to all Germans 2)Freedom of speech, to form unions, and no censorship 3)State education for all, although private schooling was allowed

Question 5

How long was Adenauer chancellor?

Answer 5

From 1949 until 1963.

Question 6

What kind of style of leadership did Adenauer have and how did it help him?

Answer 6

A authoritarian style and forceful management of the Bundestag. The benefit of this forceful stylewas that he kept FRG coalitions working togethere until 1957.

Question 7

How was Adenauer reign oppressive?

Answer 7

He worked to exclude political opposition especially left-wing opposition.

Question 8

What were the similarity between Adenauer’s policy and Nazi policy?

Answer 8

1953 - changes to voting allocation made it harder for smaller parties to get a seat 1952 right wing party Socialist Reich Party was banned. 1956 - KPD was declared unconstitutional, they were removed from Bundestag and banned. 1957 - Seat allocation changed again making it even harder for smaller parties to join.

Question 9

What were the positives and negatives of Adenauer policies?

Answer 9

The policy improved stability but they resulted in the Bundestag having 3-party house with coalitions that didn’t change anything. Stability was at the cost of losing the democratic spirit of the Basic Law.

Question 10

Why did some people (especially young people) dislike Adenauer’s restoration of the civil services?

Answer 10

Due to ex-Nazis being allowed to join government due to his Year Zero policy

Question 11

Which party was Brandt the leader of?

Answer 11

SPD

Question 12

Brandt pushed the policy of “Ostpolitik”, what is “Ostpolitik”?

Answer 12

A policy to establishing freindly relathions with East Germany.

Question 13

Why was Brandt compelled to resign on the 24th May 1974?

Answer 13

It was discovered that one of his advisers was a GDR spy, even though he didn’t know about it he felt that he should resign as he failed to notice.

Question 14

What party did Helmut Schmidt repersent?

Answer 14

SPD

Question 15

Why did Helmut Schmidt win the elections of 1976 and 1980?

Answer 15

There was no viable CDU candidate.

Question 16

Why did Schmidt face growing opposition and from whom?

Answer 16

Due to his failure to push through economic policies, he also faced opposition from the Green Party.

Question 17

When was Schmidt forced to resign and why?

Answer 17

On the 1st October 1983, due to a constructive vote of no confidence.

Question 18

What did Kohl work towards?

Answer 18

The unification of Germany and stability.

Question 19

When were travel restriction between East and West Germany lifted?

Answer 19

On the 9th November, Germany was physically reunited

Question 20

What kind of opposition and problems did Kohl face?

Answer 20

In the Bundestag the Greens on the left and the Republicans on the right, the media and terrorists.