kohl era

• chancellor of west germany - 1982-1990
• worked with US president , Reagan and USSR's leader , Gorbachev to end cold war
• strove to unify Germany after Soviet Union abandoned its control of Eastern Europe
• formed coalition gov between CDU and CSU (Christian social union) and FDP
• focused on developing European integration through EEC and West Germany commitments to NATO
• EEC = European economic community
• kohl saw NATO as key defense against USSR
• introduced new economic policies , supported 'social market economy'
• continued support for ostpoliktik
• 1982 - FRG joined with CDU
• challenges to kohl's gov

  • rising unemployment , social deprivation (reduced gov spending , tax cuts)
  • avoided any radical programmes that could impact less affluent or threaten those that wanted material wealth (didn't want to upset voters)
  • annual budget increases kept to max (spent lots on welfare), kept subsidies to farming + coal mining
• factors that ensured kohl remained in power (despite losing many shares in voter shares) :

  • collapse of Berlin wall
  • unification of germany