AQA A-LEVEL HISTORY 7042/1L {Component 1L The quest for political stability: Germany, 1871–1991 }QUESTIONS & MARKING SCHEME MERGED|| GRADED A+||

Section A Answer Question 01. Extract A After 1966, party distinctions in West Germany became blurred. The Grand Coalition of 1966–69 set Germany back on track in the most difficult of circumstances, effectively resolving the economic problems of the mid-1960s. This government greatly contributed to the political consensus of the following two decades. In 1974, nobody seemed better equipped to deal with a new economic crisis than Helmut Schmidt. Most Germans, including many traditional CDU/CSU voters, saw Schmidt as the experienced captain navigating the ship of state through treacherous waters. From 1982, Helmut Kohl, the new chancellor, strove to occupy the largest possible section of the political middle ground. His political priorities were little different from Schmidt’s in the previous decade: maintaining relations with East Germany, economic growth, and an emphasis on law and order at home. Overall, Schmidt and Kohl contributed substantially to the blurring of party images. Schmidt was immensely popular among conservative Germans and Kohl successfully pursued exactly the same policies as his predecessor. Adapted from L Kettenacker, Germany Since 1945, 1997 5 10 Extract B Balancing the desires of left and right, in the years 1966 and 1989, was difficult. During Kiesinger’s Grand Coalition, Brandt gained prestige for developing his new ‘Ostpolitik’, and in 1969, the SPD won over 40% of the vote. Seeing an opportunity, Brandt broke from the Grand Coalition and allied with the liberal FDP. The socialist-liberal government introduced a series of social reforms. However, conservatives opposed both ‘Ostpolitik’ and the social reform programme, making difficulties for the coalition. As the recession of the early 1970s gradually turned to a new period of slow growth under Schmidt, tensions emerged over economic policy between the SPD and the Liberals. The conservative, business-oriented wing of the FDP supported reductions in social welfare spending and policies to stimulate production. A vote of no-confidence forced Schmidt from office in 1982. The beneficiary of the break-up of the socialist-liberal coalition was Helmut Kohl. The new chancellor announced a ‘change of course’ to move away from the left-wing policies of the previous decade. Adapted from FB Tipton, A History of Modern Germany Since 1815, 2003 5 10 3 IB/M/Jun23/7042/1L Turn over ► Extract C 1966–89 was a period of political polarisation, which saw increasing antagonism between the established parties and the idealists of an emerging ‘New Left’. This was partly a polarisation between the older generation, who had lived through the Third Reich, and younger people who challenged the conduct and values of their parents’ generation. In the 1970s, left-wing protests diversified; the most notorious group was the terrorist Red Army Faction. While the acts of terror could in no way be justified, new controversies flared as some on the left criticised the state’s responses to the terrorist threat. In addition, the attempt to replace oil by nuclear power had political implications, and Schmidt’s centrist form of social democracy again came under attack from the left. In 1982, after thirteen years of social-democratic government, West Germany entered a new phase of conservative dominance. However, widespread and vocal concern for issues such as the environment, as well as nuclear power and weapons, continued to dominate the political agenda in the 1980s. Adapted from M Fulbrook, A History of Germany 1918–2008, 2009 5 10 0 1 Using your understanding of the historical context, assess how convincing the arguments in these three extracts are in relation to political developments in Germany