2: Economic and Political Developments in FRG + GDR 1950-1970
- Created by: BeccaEK
- Created on: 03-05-15 15:42
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- Economic and Political Developments in FRG + GDR 1950-1970
- Economies and living standards FRG
- 1945-1950s = massive sustained economic growth
- 'Economic miracle'
- Marshall plan
- Helped strengthen economy
- But they received less than many other West European countries
- Helped strengthen economy
- Economic miracle due to:
- Marshal aid
- Introduction of Deutschmark
- Ample raw materials
- Cheap labour
- Demand for manufactured goods
- No armed forced until 1955
- 1950s = good living standards -> government able to fund generous welfare provisions
- 1945-1950s = massive sustained economic growth
- Divergence continued
- Subject of holocaust extremely sensitive
- GDR gave extra pension allowance to holocaust survivors
- FRG kept some camps as memorials
- Also gave compensation to Jewish surivors
- Trade was generally strong between them
- 'Inter-German trade' brought no extra taxes
- For 20 years 'Hallstein Doctrine' dictated FRG's policy on GDR
- Doctrine stated FRG wouldn't establish full relations with any country which officially recognised GDR
- Heavily promoted by Adenauer
- Wanted reunification - saw them as 2 zones, not 2 countries
- March 1952 - Western allies got note from Stalin proposing reunification
- Western allies rejected it - suspicious of Stalin's true intentions
- Subject of holocaust extremely sensitive
- Governmental systems
- FRG (west)
- Split into laender
- President = largely symbolic figure
- Bundestag contained elected reps
- Bundesrat = sent reps from each region of FRG
- GDR (east)
- Re-organised into Bezirke (districts)
- President's role taken over by 'Council of State'
- Two chambers in parliament
- Reps supposedly elected but electoral laws guaranteed SED majority
- FRG (west)
- Beginnings of divergence
- 1950s-1960s FRG was dominated by Adenauer's CDU
- Time of massive economic growth - 'economic miracle'
- Became more closely integrated with USA + West Europe
- Growing want of material goods
- GDR - highly disciplined socialist government set up
- Controlled by SED
- Integrated fully with Eastern Blob + USSR
- Both faced immense challenges
- Legacy of Holocaust
- Need for new governmental system
- Both very successful
- Became important in their blocs (East or West)
- Portrayed each other in a negative light
- FRG saw GDR as totalitarian dictatorship
- No better than the Nazis
- GDR found fighting propaganda war very hard
- Many in East Germany listened to Western radio or watched their TV
- Hard to manipulate the truth
- Many in East Germany listened to Western radio or watched their TV
- FRG saw GDR as totalitarian dictatorship
- 1950s-1960s FRG was dominated by Adenauer's CDU
- Independant West Germany
- 1949-1955 relations controlled by Allied High Commision
- By 1955 Adenauer's policies of economic co-operation with West created atmosphere of trust
- 1955 FRG became independent state
- Adenauer chancellor for 14 years
- His party (CDU) was only Germany party in history to gain overall majority in Bundestag
- Stayed in power due to: economic miracle, strong foreign policy + lack of oppostions
- Adenauer chancellor for 14 years
- 1951 '131' law
- Allowed ex-Nazis to be employed in civil service
- 1955 - allowed to rearm
- Introduced compulsory military service
- Brandt = foreign minister 1966
- Increasingly popular with improving relations between East and West
- 1949-1955 relations controlled by Allied High Commision
- Development in GDR under Ulbricht
- Governed as highly disciplined social system
- Highly influenced by Soviet Union
- Freedom of speech repressed
- Highly influenced by Soviet Union
- Stasi set up 1950
- Used informants to help them
- Unofficial workers of secret police
- Late 1960s - 50,000 offical employees + 100,000 unofficial
- Used informants to help them
- SED introduced a 'fair' society
- Old capitalist order to be removed
- Elections not truly democratic
- Parliament dominated by SED
- Government took industry + agriculture under its control
- Living standards inferior to FRG
- Farms collectivised + run by state
- Caused resentment
- Housing shortages
- June 1953 - major industry strikes
- Rearmed 1955
- Large numbers left for West until wall was built
- A big disadvantage of propaganda war
- East got TV + radio from West
- A big disadvantage of propaganda war
- Governed as highly disciplined social system
- Emigration from GDR to FRG + Berlin wall
- Berlin wall constructed 1661
- Eastern side of border = 5km exclusion zone
- Border guards shoot anyone who tried to cross
- 1952 - 191 over 3.5 million emigrated from GDR
- Lost lots of key, skilled workers
- FRG gave them automatic citizenship
- GDR labelled them criminals
- Easy to cross via Berlin before wall
- The wall caused much change
- Families separated, some lived + worked on different sides
- Became even closer guarded
- The wall caused much change
- Escape attempts
- Up to 5000 successfully escaped
- 191 people died
- Old-age pensioners allowed to 'escape' easier
- It was hoped they would stay in FRG so they would pay their pensions
- 1971 Four-Power Agreement
- Made it easier for those in West to travel East
- Checkpoint Charlie
- Well guarded + complex on East
- Simple wooden hut on West
- A sign US government would not accept Germany as divided forever
- Up to 5000 successfully escaped
- Economies and living standards FRG
- Living standards inferior to FRG
- Farms collectivised + run by state
- Caused resentment
- Housing shortages
- June 1953 - major industry strikes
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