West Germany

Seite 1

Political Dissent and active challenge 1949-89

FRG- established in 1949 was set up to be a democracy.

Constitution devised to avoid some of the problems the Weimar government experienced.

Basic Law was clear in the fact that there should be free speech, freedom of press and no censorship.

Opposition had a voice again in Germany- within political system and inside the country as a whole.

1950's FRG trying to establish itself.

Political dissent and active challenge was less important.

Bigger issues included: Rebuilding the government by working together in useful coalitions, building a sense of identity while leaving room for reunification with East Germany, Rebuilding the economy, physically rebuild the country and establishing the FRG as a viable, moderate member of Europe.

There was still some political dissent

The coalition that emerged from the first elections (August 1949) didn't include the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) and SPD.

SPD voiced political opposition by typically arguing against some of the moves made by Adenauer, i.e 'year zero' and the past membership of the Nazi Party.

Seite 2

Demonstrations and Marches in the 1950's

Government clamped down on certain political groups using a clause from the basic law- political parties could exist as long as they did not threaten the constitution or the principles of democracy.

The clause was used to ban the right wing Socialist Reich Party in 1952

KPD who won enough seats in the Bundestag to feel represented, began to organise communist demonstrations in the cities.

Munich 1953- 6,000 communists clashed with police and the police used water cannon to disperse the marchers.

Changes in the 1960's

By 1960's FRG found it's political feet in Europe.

Had a strong economy- 'economic miracle'

People were a lot more confident and the younger generation who were growing in numbers (post-war baby boom) were getting heavily involved in youth protests throughout the West.

Young people objected to the 'year zero' that had helped Adenauer rebuild the civil service.

Youths objected to ex-Nazis in positions of political power.

Adopted the slogan 'What did you do in the war, Daddy?'- Used to taunt the older generation.

Some young people did however feel dislocated by the widespread lack of family history (Result of 'Year Zero').

Protests against the FRG'S military

Young people joined the rising discontent with the way the USA was handling the war in Vietnam

Young people viewed USA as the face of money grabbing, repressive capitalism.

Seite 3

The APO

Many groups in the 1960's

Members were made up of left-wing intellectuals.

The Ausserparliamentarische Opposition (APO) came about because of the distrust of young intellectuals.

There was no left wing parties to absorb them after the KPD was banned.

SPD revised it's policies to be less radical in 1959

Revised policies gave the SPD more power in government however left people on the left wing feeling unrepresented.

Violent political protest's began to gain force again.

APO had a strong university membership, many who supported radical theories.

Saw action as more important than argument and saw student protests as a key method.

Films (Viva Maria!) showed radical, revolutionary lifestyles with the use of bombs and guns for social revolution.

The SDS

German Socialist Student Union

Been part of the SPD until it broke away in 1961

SDS felt the SPD was becoming less radical and no longer represented it's feelings.

More radical protests in the 1960's and even more violent terrorism in 1970's

Wasn't just directed at political issues but at various human rights and moral issues in the world.

Protested against the Vietnam war and nuclear weapons.

Also protested against former Nazis holding office in the government

SDS leader= Rudi Dutschke- held responsible for the growing violence of student demonstrations.

1967- Violence and conflict escalated that much that a student (Benno Ohnesorg) was shot.

Increased membership of the SDS but also caused a split on how violent demonstrations should be.

Gudrun Ensslin- 'Violence was the only way to answer violence'

April 1968- Rudi Dutschke was shot by a right wing fanatic.

'Easter Riots' followed which was a series of attacks on offices of the Springer Press.

Riots finally died down and the SDS took part in the last major demonstrations on 11th May 1968in Bonn against the Emergency Law.

80,000 people from different groups protested together against what they saw as a violation of the basic law's human rights principles.

Law was passed anyway

Allowed the government powers of arrest and surveillance that led to a change in student protest.

Seite 4

Challenges in the 1970's

Government pressure on protest and dissent using the Emergency Law and police reduced the amount of protests.

Pushed some groups to an even more violent approach- Terrorism

Government and Police initially thrown off balance but later established hard-line policies to deal with them

Terrorist Groups were fluid- groups formed and groups joined each other

Even though terrorists were constantly on the move they was still in and out of prison

Arrests sometimes provoked terrorist attacks

Regular gun battles with the police

1971- One of the leaders of the West Berlin Tupamaros was shot by the police

The other leader was in prison

Members disbanded moved onto other groups

Terrorism was accompanied with articles and pamphlets about what they wanted and why they were terrorists

One of the most long-lived terrorist groups = Baader Meinhof Gang- first known action was the bombing in Dahlem in May 1970

Called itself the red army faction

Influenced by Carlos Mirighella's Minimanual for the Urban Guerrilla published in June 1969

The group went to Jordan to train with Palestinian terrorists

By the end of the 1970's most of the gangs leaders were in prison so they called for hunger strikes

November- one of the hunger strikers - Hoglar Meins died in prison

Resulted in the bombing of the homes of several lawyers and judges that were involved.

By 1975 all Baader Meinhof Gang were arrested and some were even placed in solitary confinement

There was bombings in' Paris, Stockholm and other cities to show support for them

Terrorist in the FRG slowed partly due to government and partly to a feeling that this form of protest wasn't achieving anything

Still bombings throughout the 1980's but they weren't a regular occurrence.