Why Did Two Germanys Emerge In 1949? Flashcards
What did basic law ensure?
Basic freedoms, such as freedom of expression, assembly, association and movement
What was Lander in basic law?
The individual states with elected representatives, which had power over regional issues, these 16 states representatives meeting in the upper chamber, Bundesrat
What was the lower chamber which combined proportional representation and first past the post, and defined by basic law?
Bundestag
What percent of the vote did parties have to get before they were represented in the Bundestag, made by a later amendment to the basic law?
5%
Which position in West Germany was not directly elected but chosen by a representative convention made up of all the members of the Bundestag and an equal number of members elected by the Lander parliaments?
The President
What was the role of the President in West Germany?
Proposes Chancellor, a figurehead, only has power only in a state of emergency
How did a vote of no-confidence in the Chancellor work under basic law?
That there had to be majority support for a named and viable successor, because the chancellor could not be dismissed unless a new chancellor was voted in, to limit the power of the president
What was the West German constitution known as?
Basic law, which was to indicate that it was temporary until Germany was united
Under basic law who was entitled to citizenship?
All German citizens who were living in former German lands that were now under either Polish or Soviet rule, as a result 3 million fled by the time the wall was erected in 1961
What parliament did the East Germany (German Democratic Republic) establish?
The Volkskammer, though not totally democratic as the number of seats for each party was allocated before each election
What was the Upper House in the GDR?
The Landerkammer, which rested the five regions or lander
When was the president replaced by the Council of State in the GDR
1960
What changes in the GDR served to strength the position of the Communist Party?
The Lander were abolished in 1952 and replaced by the smaller units, the Bezirke, which were easier to control
The Upper House was abolished in 1958
When was the State Security Service, or Stasi created?
1950
What was the system used in the GDR?
Democratic centralism, by which decision were taken at the centre and passed down and implemented below, was very different from the West
