Politics, economics, and society in postwar Germany

Parameters: Occupation Partition (through 1989-90) Cold War Political and economic integration into the western alliance Reconstruction and recovery Benefits of cheap labour flowing from the east (until Berlin Wall, 1961) Continuing prosperity (albeit with high unemployment since reunification)

Politics Parties licensed first at provincial level Drafting a constitution: Establishing constitutional government The system: Parliamentary and federal President – a figurehead with circumscribed roles Chancellor Elected by Bundestag Removable only via constructive vote of no confidence Provinces (laender) represented in Bundesrat (upper house), veto over all legislation affecting them

Parties and political forces Transformation of the party system The 1949 election: “the last election of Weimar?” The 5% threshold and its impact: Successive reduction in the number of parties smaller parties absorbed into Christian Democratic fold By 1957, a three party system From 1983, a four party system From 1990, a five party system

The party system: _____________________________ PDS Greens SPD FDP CDU

The parties Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Self-styled volkspartei (people’s party) Led by Konrad Adenauer Social Democratic Party (SPD) Re-established as a Marxist party From 1959, a party of moderate the left (Marxist rhetoric removed from program) Free Democratic Party (FDP), a smaller liberal party Greens: a left alternative Party of Democratic Socialists: former east German Communists

Society – pre 1970s The political mood in the 1950s A sense of exhaustion? Quiescence? A society turned in on itself Discomfort with conflict Comfortable with Adenauer’s campaign promise: “No experiments” Silence: little discussion, public or private, on holocaust Strong sense of law (rechtstaat) – laws must be obeyed

Society –1970s and beyond Less quiescent, more conflictual More discussion within parties More participatory & more vocal Citizens’ initiatives Protest groups Red Brigades Willingness to come to terms with the holocaust Some problems absorbing immigrants and asylum-seekers

Politics: A consensual rather adversarial democracy Decisions reached by quiet negotiation among political parties With provincial governments, represented in the upper house Between government and organized interests Inclusion of opposition parties

Coalitions 1949-1966 Centre-right Christian Democrats & Free Democrats 1966-1969 Grand coalition Social Democrats & Christian Democrats 1969-1982 Social-liberal Social Democrats and Free Democrats 1982-1998 Christian Democrats, Free Democrats 1998-present Red-green Social Democrats and Greens

Explaining the new Germany How was it possible to establish a liberal democracy in the aftermath of Nazism? Impact of affluence Narrowing of political agenda and political options Exclusion of extreme parties and options The levelling effects of Nazism