west germany

Question 1

what were the factors towards stability of west Germany?

Answer 1

Creation of FRG

constitution

Question 2

FRG, how was the country split up?

Answer 2

Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and German Democratic Republic (GDR) were controlled by America and USSR, split up via meeting at Yalta February 1945 and Potsdam July-August 1945

Question 3

FRG, how was the FRG democratic?

Answer 3

American zone moved fastest in establishing democracy, January 1946 Germans were able to vote in local elections, March 1946 they could vote at national level

Question 4

FRG, how did Lander enhance democracy?

Answer 4

Created Lander (regional parliaments) and held elections for them in June 1946, nearly a year before they had them in the British and French zones May 1947

Question 5

FRG, what happened in 1947?

Answer 5

1948 ministers were instructed to create a new constitution after the Marshall Plan

Question 6

constitution, president?

Answer 6

President was elected by state representatives not by popular vote, they didn’t have power over the military

Question 7

constitution, government and chancellor?

Answer 7

Government and chancellor could be removed by ‘constructive vote of no confidence’ so stop parties using it to cripple the running of the Bundestag, removed article 48 powers to prevent dictatorship

Question 8

constitution, Bundestag?

Answer 8

Bundestag parties had to gain at least 5% of the vote to get seat in Bundestag to avoid extremists parties getting into government, became federate state

Question 9

constitution, elections?

Answer 9

Bundestag parties had to gain at least 5% of the vote to get seat in Bundestag to avoid extremists parties getting into government, became federate state

Question 10

constitution, bundestrat?

Answer 10

Bundestrat got rid of Prussia due to what it represented under Weimar, Lander parliaments given more power than ever and controlled education and administration

Question 11

constitution, civil service and judiciary?

Answer 11

Civil service and judiciary constitutional court established to outlaw parties it thought were undemocratic in their ideologies, acts as a check and balance on the actions of the government

Question 12

constitution, welfare state?

Answer 12

Welfare state was established (was like Weimar)

Question 13

constitution, Berlin?

Answer 13

BERLIN*- would be politically provocative to claim Berlin as inside the GDR, but West Berliners considered citizens of FRG but couldn’t vote in federal elections, 22 members of berlin assembly were Bundestag and 4 on Bundestrat

Question 14

election factors?

Answer 14

adenauer
CDU importance
failures of Schumacker
International affairs

Question 15

Adenauer, what symbolised a good relationship with America early on?

Answer 15

he was appointed Lord mayor of cologne by Americans 4th may 1945 which symbolised his good relationship with them

Question 16

adenauer, what was his ideology?

Answer 16

he was vehemently opposed to East Germany and a reunification that would require compromise with the communists, this meant that he had support from Catholic church as he was a strong barrier against communism

Question 17

adenauer, what was his relationship with catholics?

Answer 17

support from the Catholics was crucial as 45% of West Germans were Catholics, as opposed to 30% in the pre-1945 united Germany

Question 18

Adenauer, how did he come accross to the population?

Answer 18

Adenaur was considered to be strong and stable and people were assured the FRG would be in safe hands and after turbulent years, this was what people wanted

Question 19

CDU, why were they popular?

Answer 19

They were popular with western occupying powers because of their strong economic policies and anti-communists stance

Question 20

CDU, who were they supported by?

Answer 20

Supported by famous American economist Ludwig Erhard which meant that GNP trebled during the 1950’s. Using $17 billion marshal aid money, West Germany moved to an advanced economy based on electronics, banking, and education ect

Question 21

CDU, what showed the success of them?

Answer 21

First election in the FRG 14th August 1949 the CDU were victorious over the SPD with 31% compared to 29%

Question 22

CDU, what were the main issues of the election?

Answer 22

The main issue of the election was over economic policy with the SPD proposing a more socialists government with a controlled economic system in contrast to the CDUs free-market based ‘social market economy’

Question 23

Shumacker, what was his ideology?

Answer 23

He wanted to push the SPD in a socialits direction but didn’t make enough distinction between this and communism

Question 24

shumacker, what did he do to Adenauer?

Answer 24

Compared Adenaur to a ‘puppet of the Catholic church who wanted to exploit the working classes’ which didn’t gain him favour with the church or the German Catholics

Question 25

shumacker, what did he propose?

Answer 25

SPD proposed a ‘planned economy’ 1949 which would be controlled by central government

Question 26

Shumacker, what happened in his history?

Answer 26

He spent 10 years in the concentration camp Dachau which left him with an amputated leg and arm but this showed him to be weak

Question 27

international, what did the CDU do ?

Answer 27

CDU positioned themselves to oppose the Soviets and was against unity with GDR so they gained friendly relations with America who also opposed them

Question 28

international, what did the Cold War do?

Answer 28

Due to the Cold war tensions 1950 and the red scare, getting the backing of America made the people confident that a big power trusted the CDU

Question 29

international, what did CDU resonate more with?

Answer 29

Economic policies of the CDU resonated more with America and the socialist planned economy was similar to that in the USSR

Question 30

Adenauer shaping CDU, what did their policies help with?

Answer 30

Their social policies in 1950s helped improve home ownership and access to consumer goods, this caused real wages to increase between 1950-1964

Question 31

Adenauer shaping CDU, what did they want women to do?

Answer 31

CDU discouraged women from entering the workforce as they wanted women to focus on family life

Question 32

Adenauer shaping CDU, what did they join in 1957?

Answer 32

They joined the EEC in 1957 which abolished tariffs between member states and improved West Germanys exports

Question 33

Adenauer shaping CDU, what common market did they join?

Answer 33

European Coal and Steel Community 1951 combined heavy industry France, FRG, Italy and elsewhere into one common market

Question 34

Adenauer shaping CDU, what did they secure in the wake of the Korean War?

Answer 34

Despite the Petersberg Agreement 22nd November 1949 agreeing demilitarisation, the Korean war made Adenaur proposed the creation of the FRG army of 150,000 men in 1950 in case of a communist invasion from East Germany

Question 35

Adenauer shaping CDU, what showed continued support?

Answer 35

Adenaur had continued support showed through the 1853 election result where the CDU won 45.2% which was an increase of 14%

Question 36

Adenauer shaping CDU, what did they do concerning foreign policy?

Answer 36

General Treaty 5th May 1955 established which handed over foreign policy control to the FRG within NATO

Question 37

Adenauer shaping CDU, what did the Hallestein doctrine do?

Answer 37

Hallestein Doctrine was established when FRG joined NATO, it stated that any diplomatic recognition of GDR by anyone other than the USSR was a hostile act against the FRG, this gave GDR economic problems

Question 38

Adenauer shaping CDU, what were they first to do?

Answer 38

1957 election showed the CDU to be the first political party to win an overall majority of 50.2%

Question 39

Adenauer shaping CDU, what gave Adenauer more support?

Answer 39

Adenaur got increased support when he negotiated the release of political prisoners of war from the USSR in 1955 in return for the FRGs recognition of the USSR