Difference between revisions of "Konrad Adenauer"

Revision as of 12:37, May 29, 2009

Konrad Adenauer (1876- 1967), was the first chancellor (top official) of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), 1949-63. He was the founder and leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a coalition of Catholics and Protestants that since 1946 has generally dominated German politics. A devout Catholic, he belied his age as one of the oldest national leaders in world history by a vigorous commitment to democracy, capitalism, and anti-Communism. A stern patriarch and shrewd politician, Adenauer was deeply committed to the traditional values of Christianity and pursued a single-mindedly Western-oriented foreign policy. He restored the West Germany economy to dominance in Europe, rebuilt its army, came to terms with France, helped establish European unity, fought relentlessly against the Communists in rival East Germany, and made his nation a pillar of NATO and a form ally of the United States. To a large extent Adenauer's policies still dominate Germany.

Career

Adenauer was born in 1876, in Cologne, the son of a poor law clerk. He became a lawyer and a civil servant in Cologne, specializing in local taxation. Adenauer was elected a deputy mayor, then senior deputy mayor (1911), and served as lord high mayor of Cologne 1917-33.

Adenauer played a leading role in German national politics as a member of the Catholic Center Party. From 1917 to 1933 he served in the provincial diet of the Rhineland and in the Prussian state council as a representative of the Center Party. He later became president of the council and was also a member of the executive committee of the Center Party. In 1926 Adenauer publicly advocated a political union of Evangelical and Catholic Christians. He hoped to oppose the philosophy of the socialist class struggle with a program for a Christian social order of society.

Nazi Era

In 1933 Adenauer was dismissed from all his positions by the Hitler regime for "crimes against the German people." For 12 years he lived quietly near Bonn. In late 1944 the Gestapo put in a concentration camp.

After Germany's surrender in May 1945 the Americans reinstalled Adenauer as lord mayor of Cologne. A few months later he was dismissed by the British, when Cologne was made part of their occupation zone, "for reasons of political incompetence."

West Germany

Adenauer became one of the founders of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), a conservative coalition of Catholics and Protestants whose aim was to rebuild a shattered Germany in the Christian spirit. Adenauer insisted there be harmony between Protestants and Catholics in the new party.

Chancellor

In 1946, at age 70, his great political career really began. Adenauer became CDU party leader and won a series of electoral battles against the chief rival, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the former Socialist party. The three western zones of occupation merged into West Germany and in 1948 he became president of the parliamentary council, charged with designing a democratic constitution for the German Federal Republic. In 1949, the first German Federal Diet elected him chancellor. He was re-elected in 1953, 1957, and 1961. He retired in 1963, but remained the powerful head of the CDU until his death.

Domestic policies

Adenauer's always hewed to a few fundamental principles. He opposed the agglomeration of economic and political power in the hands of the state--the goal of the Socialists, saying it was a danger for the freedom of the individual. he promoted a division of power between business and the state, in which a limited, controlling function devolves upon the state, offers greater guarantees for the preservation of personal liberties.

Foreign policies

In foreign policy Adenauer regarded as essential the conclusive settlement of Germany's see-saw policy between East and West, which in his opinion brought to the German people the disasters of the two world wars. He bound Germany firmly to the democratic West. His uncompromising hostility toward the Soviet Union was major element in the Cold War, as it led to rearmament and the creation of a strong German army.

The 1954 Treaties of Paris established the participation of the FRG in NATO and its rearmament. The new army that would make West Germany the strongest Central European power was formed according to traditional concepts. After President Dwight D. Eisenhower adopted the New Look policy aimed at reducing conventional forces and making nuclear arms the central element both of deterrence and defense in case of war, the German military remained bound to the old system, which envisioned fighting off a Soviet invasion through the "Fulda Gap" in central Germany. In 1956 the United States planned to drastically reduce its armed forces and strengthen American nuclear superiority. Adenauer then understood that his country would be in a position of disparity in the Atlantic alliance as a member without nuclear arms. Hoping that the availability of nuclear weapons would increase deterrence, he supported the assignment of nuclear warheads to West Germany by the United States.

European Unity

To achieve European unity, Adenauer needed the cooperation of the labor union, which mostly supported the opposition SDP. The German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) saw itself in a political role, and largely favored the idea of European integration. A key test of its European credentials was its attitude toward the Schuman Plan, proposed by France, for a common market for coal, iron, and steel. The DGB accepted the plan following its entry in 1949 into the International Federation of Free Trade Unions, though it was aware of the risk of internal tensions and friction with SPD politicians. The issue also became interwoven with the Pleven Plan to create a European defense community. The agreement that was finally reached between Adenauer and the DGB involved some compromise on the issue of equal union participation in the coal and steel industry, but was not a "deal" based on prior concessions. Adenauer's dealings with the DGB leadership showed cool calculation, and their close cooperation reflected the DGB's sense of political responsibility and general enthusiasm for Europe.

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-'''Konrad Adenauer''' (1876- 1967), was the first chancellor (top official) of the Federal Republic of Germany, 1949-63. He was the founder and leader of the [[Christian Democratic Union]], a coalition of Catholics and Protestants that since 1946 has generally dominated German politics. A devout Catholic, he belied his age as one of the oldest national leaders in world history by a vigorous commitment to democracy, capitalism, and anti-Communism. A stern patriarch and shrewd politician, Adenauer was deeply committed to the traditional values of Christianity and pursued a single-mindedly Western-oriented foreign policy.  He restored the West Germany economiy to dominance in Europe, rebuilt its army, came to terms with France, helped establish European unity, fought relentlessly against the Communists in rival [[East Germany]], and made his nation a pillar of [[NATO]] and a form ally of the United States. To a large extent Adenauer's policies still dominate Germany.[[File:Adenauer1.jpg|thumb|250px]]
+'''Konrad Adenauer''' (1876- 1967), was the first chancellor (top official) of the Federal Republic of Germany ('''FRG'''), 1949-63. He was the founder and leader of the [[Christian Democratic Union]] ('''CDU'''), a coalition of Catholics and Protestants that since 1946 has generally dominated German politics. A devout Catholic, he belied his age as one of the oldest national leaders in world history by a vigorous commitment to democracy, capitalism, and anti-Communism. A stern patriarch and shrewd politician, Adenauer was deeply committed to the traditional values of Christianity and pursued a single-mindedly Western-oriented foreign policy.  He restored the West Germany economy to dominance in Europe, rebuilt its army, came to terms with France, helped establish European unity, fought relentlessly against the Communists in rival [[East Germany]], and made his nation a pillar of [[NATO]] and a form ally of the United States. To a large extent Adenauer's policies still dominate Germany.[[File:Adenauer1.jpg|thumb|250px]]
 ==Career==
@@ Line 12: / Line 12: @@
 Adenauer became one of the founders of the [[Christian Democratic Union]] (CDU), a conservative coalition of Catholics and Protestants whose aim was to rebuild a shattered Germany in the Christian spirit. Adenauer insisted there be harmony between Protestants and Catholics in the new party.
 ==Chancellor==
-In 1946, at age 70, his great political career really began. Adenauer became CDU party leader and won a series of electoral battles against the vchief rival, the [[Social Democrats]] (SDP), the former Socialist party. The three western zones of occupation merged into West Germany and in 1948 he became president of the parliamentary council, charged with designing a democratic constitution for the German Federal Republic. In 1949, the first German Federal Diet elected him chancellor. He was re-elected in 1953, 1957, and 1961. He retired in 1963, but remained the powerful head of the CDU until his death.
+In 1946, at age 70, his great political career really began. Adenauer became CDU party leader and won a series of electoral battles against the chief rival, the [[Social Democratic Party]] (SDP), the former Socialist party. The three western zones of occupation merged into West Germany and in 1948 he became president of the parliamentary council, charged with designing a democratic constitution for the German Federal Republic. In 1949, the first German Federal Diet elected him chancellor. He was re-elected in 1953, 1957, and 1961. He retired in 1963, but remained the powerful head of the CDU until his death.
 ===Domestic policies===
 Adenauer's always hewed to a few fundamental principles. He opposed the agglomeration of economic and political power in the hands of the state--the goal of the Socialists, saying it was a danger for the freedom of the individual. he promoted a division of power between business and the state, in which a limited, controlling function devolves upon the state, offers greater guarantees for the preservation of personal liberties.
 ===Foreign policies===
-In foreign policy Adenauer regarded as essential the conclusive settlement of Germany's see-saw policy between East and West, which in his opinion brought to the German people the disasters of the two world wars. He bound Germany firmly to the democratic West. His uncompromising hosilitity toward the Soviet Union wasa major element in the [[Cold War]].
+In foreign policy Adenauer regarded as essential the conclusive settlement of Germany's see-saw policy between East and West, which in his opinion brought to the German people the disasters of the two world wars. He bound Germany firmly to the democratic West. His uncompromising hostility toward the Soviet Union was major element in the [[Cold War]], as it led to rearmament and the creation of a strong German army.
+The 1954 Treaties of Paris established the participation of the FRG in NATO and its rearmament. The new army that would make West Germany the strongest Central European power was formed according to traditional concepts. After President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] adopted the New Look policy aimed at reducing conventional forces and making nuclear arms the central element both of deterrence and defense in case of war, the German military remained bound to the old system, which envisioned fighting off a Soviet invasion through the "Fulda Gap" in central Germany. In 1956 the United States planned to drastically reduce its armed forces and strengthen American nuclear superiority. Adenauer then understood that his country would be in a position of disparity in the Atlantic alliance as a member without nuclear arms. Hoping that the availability of nuclear weapons would increase deterrence, he supported the assignment of nuclear warheads to West Germany by the United States.
+====European Unity====
+To achieve European unity, Adenauer needed the cooperation of the labor union, which mostly supported the opposition SDP.  The German Federation of Trade Unions (DGB) saw itself in a political role, and largely favored the idea of European integration. A key test of its European credentials was its attitude toward the [[Schuman Plan]], proposed by France, for a common market for coal, iron, and steel. The DGB accepted the plan following its entry in 1949 into the International Federation of Free Trade Unions, though it was aware of the risk of internal tensions and friction with SPD politicians. The issue also became interwoven with the Pleven Plan to create a European defense community. The agreement that was finally reached between Adenauer and the DGB involved some compromise on the issue of equal union participation in the coal and steel industry, but was not a "deal" based on prior concessions. Adenauer's dealings with the DGB leadership showed cool calculation, and their close cooperation reflected the DGB's sense of political responsibility and general enthusiasm for Europe.
 ==Further reading==

Difference between revisions of "Konrad Adenauer"

Revision as of 12:37, May 29, 2009

Contents

Career

Nazi Era

West Germany

Chancellor

Domestic policies

Foreign policies

European Unity

Further reading

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