Chapter 9: West Germany
The Bonn Republic
- New Constitution/Bonn Republic: FRG set up in May 1949 and established the basic
law which could be changed upon German Reunification
- Est a federal president whose role was now more representative with a
shorter term of 5 years and only being allowed to be elected for one further
term
- Emphasis on human and civil rights
- Emphasis on party pluralism and introduced mixed-member PR: all voters
have two votes each and the first half of the seats come from the constituent
majority of those nominated and the second half from the nominated
representatives within the party
Party Politics
- 15 September 1949 Adenauer was elected as the chancellor and Theodore Heuss as
the first president. Lack of stability evident as Adenauer won with a majority of just
one vote (including his own)
- 1961= coalition of CDU, CSU and FDP
- Aims of Adenauer: western integration, resolve the German question,
economic policies and social aspects
Economic miracle
- 1948-66 there was a recession to a boom.
- Unemployment was at 13.5% but by 1955 decreased to 4.2%
- Between 1950-1955, GNP doubled
- Reasons for the boom include:
- World trade as the Korean War est market for the trading of arms as
well as the creation of the ESCS (1951) and the EEC (1957)
- The influx of skilled workers as refugees
- Industrial peace was generated shown by the Codetermination law of
1951= TUs with their own representatives in coal, iron, steel industries
- Increased consumption demand as progress was generated through
smaller incentives e.g subsidised savings programs=people to buy
houses=encouraged more spending and increase in consumer goods
- Financial stability: 1948 the Bank Deutsche Lander (later to be the
Bundesbank) est and this monitored the stability of the currency, the
circulation of money and interest rates to prevent inflation
- Government expenditure ltd as the FRG had no reparations to pay
back and defence costs were limited, more so by joining NATO in
1955
Society
- Adenauer wanted to refine his policy of Wiedergemachtung(making good again) to
the victims of Nazi oppression. many were exonerated and no claim of collective guilt
was made
- TUs: established DGB 1949 (German Federation of Trade Unions). All TUs
under one umbrella. Unions= less involved in party politics and warmed to the
The Bonn Republic
- New Constitution/Bonn Republic: FRG set up in May 1949 and established the basic
law which could be changed upon German Reunification
- Est a federal president whose role was now more representative with a
shorter term of 5 years and only being allowed to be elected for one further
term
- Emphasis on human and civil rights
- Emphasis on party pluralism and introduced mixed-member PR: all voters
have two votes each and the first half of the seats come from the constituent
majority of those nominated and the second half from the nominated
representatives within the party
Party Politics
- 15 September 1949 Adenauer was elected as the chancellor and Theodore Heuss as
the first president. Lack of stability evident as Adenauer won with a majority of just
one vote (including his own)
- 1961= coalition of CDU, CSU and FDP
- Aims of Adenauer: western integration, resolve the German question,
economic policies and social aspects
Economic miracle
- 1948-66 there was a recession to a boom.
- Unemployment was at 13.5% but by 1955 decreased to 4.2%
- Between 1950-1955, GNP doubled
- Reasons for the boom include:
- World trade as the Korean War est market for the trading of arms as
well as the creation of the ESCS (1951) and the EEC (1957)
- The influx of skilled workers as refugees
- Industrial peace was generated shown by the Codetermination law of
1951= TUs with their own representatives in coal, iron, steel industries
- Increased consumption demand as progress was generated through
smaller incentives e.g subsidised savings programs=people to buy
houses=encouraged more spending and increase in consumer goods
- Financial stability: 1948 the Bank Deutsche Lander (later to be the
Bundesbank) est and this monitored the stability of the currency, the
circulation of money and interest rates to prevent inflation
- Government expenditure ltd as the FRG had no reparations to pay
back and defence costs were limited, more so by joining NATO in
1955
Society
- Adenauer wanted to refine his policy of Wiedergemachtung(making good again) to
the victims of Nazi oppression. many were exonerated and no claim of collective guilt
was made
- TUs: established DGB 1949 (German Federation of Trade Unions). All TUs
under one umbrella. Unions= less involved in party politics and warmed to the
