FRG: CDU Era

1949

* 5% rule
* Constructive votes of no confidence
* Weak president, strong chancellor
* Banning of Extremist parties

Basic Law

KPD - 1956. Socialist Reich Party - 1952

Extremist parties banned

Adenauer and CDU majority of 1 vote

1949 election

1952 131 Law

Law allowing Nazis into jobs

1953 Equalisation of Burdens Act

Act granting grants and pensions to civilians who had suffered significant losses (particularly of property) as a result of wartime bombing

80% 1949-55

Wage rises beginning of FRG

CDU won 50.2% of the popular vote

1957 election

Wirtschaftswunder

‘Economic miracle’

Social Market Economy

Erhard’s economic policies

Supported nationalisation and prioritised reunification even at the cost of cooperating with the USSR

Issues with SPD in early elections

Bad Godesberg Programme

* Abandoned socialist economic policies and adopted social market economy principles.

SPD policy change

Always a coalition partner except 1957-61 and 1966-69.

FDP in government

1949-89 9.6%

FDP average percentage of vote

1955

German sovereignty restored

1957

Treaty of Rome

Average of 8% growth/year between 1950 and 1960

Economic growth

0\.7/0.8% 1961-66 and 1970-71

Lowest unemployment

Rose 58% 1953-60, compared with 25% in the UK

Rise in living standards

Hallstein Doctrine - 1955

Declaration of no diplomatic relations with any country with diplomatic relations with the GDR

1950 construction law granted massive subsidies - 4m new homes by 1957

Rebuilding

Collective Bargaining Law - 1949.

* Prevented establishment of monopolies
* effectively depoliticised the unions
* Low wage demands + strike record
* Co-dermination

Reason for Adenauer’s low strike record

Wide-ranging and transregional

Appeal of CDU

Anti-Socialist sentiment

Lack of appeal of SPD

* Return of German sovereignty in 1955
* Joined NATO 1955
* New military force of Bundeswehr 1956

Adenauer’s achievements by 1957

CDU won outright majority, 50.2% of the vote, no need for a coalition

1957 election

Oberländer - 1959

Scandal Minister for refugees

13th August 1961. Adenauer focused on electoral campaign.

Building of the Berlin wall

14th August 1961 - Brandt mayor of Berlin, Adenauer said he was unsuitable for high office due to his illegitimacy

Personal attack on Brandt

Loss of outright majority of the CDU. Vote fell to 48%, SPD increased by about 1m votes.

1961 election

Formed coalition with FDP on the condition that Adenauer would resign in favour of Erhard after 2 years.

Adenauer’s response to 1961 election

1962 CDU defence minister did not consult FDP justice minister before acting, tenstions between CDU and FDP

Der Spiegel Affair

15th October 1963

Adenauer’s resignation

1963-66

Erhard as Chancellor

* Emergence of National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD). Threatened breakthrough at federal level.
* Adenauer’s criticisms of Erhard and ill-will
* 1965 economic recession

Reasons for Erhard’s failure as Chancellor

1965\.

Relatively mild, result of overproduction

Inflation 4%/year in 1966

Unemployment 700,000 in 1966

Erhard proposed 10% spending cuts, small rises in interest rates and taxes, as well as a 1 additional hour of work/working week.

FDP disliked the idea of raising taxation

Economic recession under Erhard

November 1966

Erhard’s resignation

1966-9, Kiesinger (CDU). Coalition between SPD and CDU, 11 CDU ministers and 9 SPD. Reversed economic recession, economic growth resumed

Grand Coalition

NPD rising in popularity, Kiesinger refused to ban them from parliament.

Allowed reformation of KPD as DKP in 1968

Kept extremists within constitution, reduced extra-parliamentary opposition

Extremist parties: Kiesinger

Emergency Laws - May 1968. A committee of Bundestag representatives could take emergency measured at times of civil unrest. Symbolic of democratic maturity of the Republic

Act that worried students due to Article 42

Decriminialised homosexuality (1968) and adultery (1969)

Kiesinger’s social policies

Left of FDP wanted Ostpolitik, as did SPD

Reason for collapse of Grand Coalition

CDU strongest individual party (46.1%)

FDP formed coalition with SPD, total of 48.5% of the vote

1969 election

NPD - Failed to make a significant electoral breakthrough

1960s Neo-Nazi party

Overcrowding, poor teaching and right wing bias of teachers

Criticism of expansion of higher education 1960s

End of parliamentary democracy

Criticism of Grand Coalition

Opposition outside parliament - 1960s. Consisted of left wing students, trade unionists and intelectuals

APO

* Radical protests through strikes and demonstrations, aiming to make FRG more open, tolerant and free
* Hugely idealistic
* Motivated by Grand Coalition
* 1986 extensive campaigning against Emergency Laws

APO main ideas

Members supported Brandt’s left-wing government, some joined newly formed DKP

Decline of APO

1960s.

German Socialist Students Union

Part of APO

Expelled from SPD in 1961 due to opposition to rearmament (which SPD had accepted in Bad Godesberg Programme 1959)

SDS

Rudi Dutschke - shot 1968, died 1979 from related brain injuries

Leader of the SDS

2,500 in 1968

Peak of SDS membership

1967 - student protests of SDS against violent dictator

Visit of the Shah of Iran