<p> FRG: 1949=1963</p><p>Basic Law: based on 4 key principles:</p><p>The rule of law</p><p>Democratic participation for all</p><p>Federalism</p><p>Social welfare</p><p>Established the Federal Republic of Germany as a federal parliamentary democracy with separation of powers between the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government.</p><p>Bi-cameral parliament:</p><p>Bundestag – Elected every 4 years through universal suffrage. 50% of members directly elected, 50% elected through party lists. Parties need to win over 5% of the vote to gain additional proportional representatives. </p><p>Bundesrat – Made up of representatives of the Länder, has the power to approve or veto legislation.</p><p>President of the Republic – a largely ceremonial head of state elected by Bundestag members & representatives of the federal Länder. </p><p>Chancellor – head of government & elected by the Bundestag. Can only be removed from office through a constructive vote of no confidence.</p><p>Länder have extensive powers over administration, education, law & order.</p><p>Federal Constitutional Court – based on the US Supreme Court, designed to protect the constitution and had powers to settle disputes between the federal government and the Länder.</p><p>Political parties</p><p>SPD – (Social Democratic Party) Continuity from 1875.</p><p>Espoused a programme calling for public ownership & a planned economy. </p><p>Committed to reunification and opposed European integration in the 1950s. In 1959 at Bad Godesberg</p><p>Officially renounced its Marxist roots.</p><p>Christlich Demokratische Union (Christian Democratic Union, CDU) – Formed in June 1945. Represented a break from the pre-1933 parties and amalgamated the constituency of the old Centre Party with a number of centre-right groups</p><p>Based on the principles of Christian Socialism</p><p>Stood for free market economics </p><p>Opposed social democracy.</p><p>Freie Demokratische Partei (Free Democratic Party, FDP) - Founded in Dec. 1948</p><p>Stood for individualism and liberalism</p><p>Appealed to those who were alienated by the socialism of the SPD & the Clericalism of the CDU</p><p>Despite its small size & limited electoral strength it wielded considerable power & influence, often acting as ‘kingmaker’</p><p>Members of the FDP served in nearly every federal coalition between 1949 & 1990, and it provided 2 of West Germany’s 5 Presidents</p><p>Why weren’t extremist parties successful? Allied control: parties needed concession of High Commissioner.</p><p>SRP banned in 1952 by Federal Constitutional Court.</p><p>KPD banned in 1956 by Federal Constitutional Court.</p><p>Right wing parties as Bund der Heimatvertriebenen und Entrechteteten (BHE) absorbed by CDU/CSU.</p><p>Nationalist takeover of Liberal party (FDP) prevented by Allies (arrest of leaders).</p><p>The Economic miracle</p><p>Dramatic economic growth after 1949 </p><p>Reasons for ‘economic miracle’:</p><p>Introduction of the Deutschmark halted inflation.</p><p>US investment through the Marshal Plan ($4.4 million).</p><p>Large, adaptable workforce (partly made up of refugees from Eastern Europe).</p><p>German determination to pull together for the national good – few disputes between labour and capital.</p><p>Germany had fewer burdens on her exchequer than other powers – no overseas commitments, colonial wars etc.</p><p>The Korean War (1950-53) increased demand for industrial goods and removed reluctance to buy German goods – exports boomed.</p><p>Unemployment fell from 1.9 million in 1950 to 200,000 in 1961.</p><p>GNP trebled during the 1950s, annual growth averaged just under 8%</p><p>Gap between rich and poor widened, but standards of living rose across the board – average income for industrial workers rose by 250% between 1950 and 1962.</p><p>Society</p><p>Defeat and division wrought profound changes in German society:</p><p>The old Prussian Junker class had lost their economic and political power</p><p>The ‘Ruhr Barons’ who had dominated German industry were in decline.</p><p>Gradual increase in social mobility and a ‘levelling out’ of German society. Women outnumbered men due to war-time losses, and under the Federal Republic there were changes in gender roles:</p><p>The Basic Law guaranteed equal rights for women</p><p>Law of Equality of the Sexes (1957) extended property rights</p><p>More employment opportunities with economic growth</p><p>But women still earned 40% less than men on average</p><p>Nevertheless, West German society in the 1950s and 60s was still conservative and patriarchal. </p><p>‘The Natural Order’</p><p>Dealing with the Nazi legacy</p><p>Measures to confront the Nazi past limited in the 1950s.</p><p>Moves to compensate victims of National Socialism, extremist parties banned by the Constitutional Court.</p><p>Many former Nazis in the civil service such as Hans Globke, head of the Chancellors Office (1953-1963). Globke drafted Nazi anti-Semitic legislation in the 1930s.</p><p>The judiciary reluctant to censure sadistic Nazi judges.</p><p>Damaged Germany’s reputation abroad & led to a feeling that the Germans had buried their heads in the sand rather than confronting the legacy of National Socialism.</p><p>Foreign Policy</p><p>Adenauer’s aims: </p><p>International recognition via economic cooperation, cultural integration, and democratisation</p><p>Reconciliation with France</p><p>Close relationship with United States – essential for security in bipolar international system (Soviet Threat)</p><p>Aims of the Western Powers: </p><p>Defeat German militarism and idea of revenge by integration.</p><p>Factors which helped rehabilitation: Perceived Soviet Threat: especially after 1949 (Soviet Atomic Bomb) – German participation needed, good bargaining position for Adenauer: concessions.</p><p>Korean War (1950-1953).</p><p>1951: Signing (in Paris) of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC).</p><p>1952: Signing (in Paris) of the European Defense Community (EDC). The ‘Stalin note’ offering a united neutral Germany.</p><p>1954: Signing of the Paris Agreements. FRG/BRD is invited to join NATO permitting West German rearmament and Italy and the FRG/BRD accede to the Western European Union (WEU).</p><p>1955: Full sovereignty returned to the Federal Republic.</p><p>1957: The Treaty of Rome is signed establishing the European Economic Community. The Saar returns to Germany as a Land (to be followed in 3 years by economic reintegration). </p><p>1963: French-German Friendship Treaty is signed in Paris. </p><p>The Spiegel Affair-Led to the downfall of Adenauer</p><p>The affair tested limits of freedom of the press and showcased the development of democracy in the Federal Republic</p><p>News magazine Spiegel had reported the Bundeswehr’s limited readiness for conflict with Russians.</p><p>Spiegel offices were occupied by police, Augstein arrested, as well as the article’s author.</p><p>Popular demonstrations began to free Augstein; beginnings of widespread protest culture?</p>