Post Wwi Government In Germany Essay Research

Post Wwi Government In Germany Essay, Research Paper

The post World War I government of Germany was called the Weimar Republic and reigned from 1919 to 1933. It attempted to establish a peaceful, liberal democratic regime. This government was eventually doomed by economic problems and the weaknesses due to the inflation of the early 1920s, the world depression of the 1930s, and social unrest. The National Socialist, or Nazi, party gained support quickly in the 1930s. It stressed nationalist themes and promised to put the unemployed back to work. The party, led by Adolf Hitler, blamed many of Germany s problems on alleged Jewish conspiracies. In January of 1933, Hitler was asked to form a new government as Reich Chancellor. After President Paul Von Hindenburg died in 1934, Hitler assumed the role as President of Germany as well. Once in power, Hitler and his party abolished democratic institutions and opposition parties. They attempted to remove all non-German people in Germany by forced migration and, ultimately genocide. Hitler restored Germany s economic and military strength, but his ambitions of power led Germany into World War II. World War II resulted in the destruction of Germany s political and economic structures, led to its ultimate division, and left a humiliating legacy (U.S. Dept. of State, 1997). Forty million people were dead and Europe lay in ruins. Germany surrendered unconditionally on May 8, 1945. Hitler committed suicide. Germany was occupied and the administration controlled by Russia, Britain, France, and the United States. Germany was zoned into four sections and each country exercised supreme authority in their respective zones. The commanders-in-chief acted together on questions affecting the country as a whole. The four controlling powers agreed that Germany would be treated as a single economic unit with some central administrative departments.The Greater Berlin Area, which was 340 square miles, was divided into four sectors also–one for each of the Allied Powers. The eastern part went to the Russians. The western portion went to France, Britain, and the U.S. This arrangement reflected the Allied solution for the rest of country as well. In 1948, Russia withdrew from the Four Power governing bodies and blockaded Berlin, certain that West Berlin would eventually fall to them under the intimidation. West Berlin was kept alive only by airlift supplies. Previous underlying tensions between the Russians and the western powers re-emerged. The period, known as the Cold War, was and to some point still is the struggle between communist Russian beliefs and the ideals of free western democracy. What emerged was an East and West Berlin and an East and West Germany (Hofmann, 1990).West Berlin had ties with West Germany, known as the Federal Republic of Germany. The United States and Britain worked toward establishing a government in their two zones. The Basic Law, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany, went into effect in May 1949. It expanded the size and power of the German Economic Council, provided a West German assembly, a statute governing relations between the Allies and German authorities, and merged the French zone in with the British and American zones. (U.S. Dept. of State, 1997) Although it was miles away from West Germany, and bound by strict regulations, West Berlin began to rebuild its city from the devastation of WWII. It was given special help from West Germany and the Allies. Its survival became important as a symbol of Western commitment against Soviet communism. Industries were revived, a university, called Free University, was built, and money was pumped in. West Berlin cleaned up the war destruction and grew and prospered, though not as quickly as West Germany (Hofmann, 1990).West Germany quickly moved forward toward full sovereignty and built ties with its European neighbors. It was accepted into, NATO, and the Western European Union. The Allies stationed troops within West Germany for NATO defense purposes. Political life in West Germany remained stable and orderly. All governments from 1949 to present have been democracies. In 1982, Chairman, Helmut Kohl was elected Chancellor and still holds that position today.East Berlin became the capital of East Germany, known as the German Democratic Republic. East Germany was ruled by Russia and its people were forced to merge with the Communist Party. Under Russian direction, in October 1949, a constitution was adopted. The Soviet Union and its East European allies immediately recognized the GDR, but it was not recognized by most non-communist countries. The GDR, or East German government, established the structure of a single party, centralized, communist state. Fourteen districts were established. All government control was by Soviet Russia and all important positions were held by Soviet Russian members. The constant stream of East Germans fleeing to West Germany made tensions grow between East and West Germany in the 1950s (U.S. Dept. of State, 1997). A massive exodus of East Germans happened in June of 1961 when a head of the communist party said in an interview that rumors of the government building a wall was false. Everyone knew it was coming for sure then. The Wall was constructed in August of 1961 as protection against West German fascism and American capitalist imperialism. Actually it was to stop the flood of East German refugees, many of them highly skilled and highly trained.Af