FRG Politics

• “Allied Control Council” to make decisions across

  zones, Germany to be treated as a single economic

  unit. - Just after end of WW2
• In Western zones faith and liberal parties combined

  by 1947, to create the FDP (Free Democracy Party),

  CDU and CSU.
• In the Eastern zone, the KPD and SPD joined to form

  SED (Socialist Unity Party).
• Oct 1946 – elections across Berlin, KPD won in

  Eastern zone but did badly elsewhere.
• 1st Sept 1948 - new TEMPORARY constitution

  created for the Western zone – the BASIC LAW –

  promised, DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES - equal

  rights, free speech and state education for all.
• First elections August 1949 CDU/CSU(most Right

  wing) won largest share – 31%
• First elections, Second largest vote went to SPD 29% (most Left wing).
• Hallstein Doctrine 1955, GDR (USSR side) not recognised by FRG, as well as not establishing or maintaining relations with countries who did recognise the GDR .
• Adenauer was Chancellor 1949-63, also foreign minister until 1955.
• CDU/CSU remained majority party until 1969.
• 1957, when

  CDU/CSU gained their first majority.
• Support for the CDU in elections grew from 31 per cent in 1949 to 50.2 per cent by 1957.
• Brandt was chancellor between 1969 and 1974.
• Brandt visited East Germany and the two Germanies recognised each other as independent states in 1973.
• Ostpolitik saw Brandt improve relations with communist Eastern Europe more generally, something perhaps best represented by his visit to Poland in 1970, during which he signed an agreement recognising Poland’s post-war borders.
• Helmut Schmidt was chancellor between 1974 and 1982
• Tensions developed between the two parties(CDU and FDP) , however, and Schmidt faced difficulties in dealing with inflation and the rise of the Green movement, during the Schmidt period.
• From the 1980s, the establishment and development of the Green Party provided a democratic and peaceful outlet for those who politically opposed the mainstream politics of the Christian Democrats and the SPD.
• Kohl continued with Ostpolitik and worked to develop European integration with the EEC. (1982-90)