GermanyGermany

CHARACTERISTICS:

Affluent Economy (despite the disequilibria between the Eastern and the Western parts of the country)

Unstable territorial limitsDivided between 1945 and 1990.

Difficult but successful unification process.

HISTORY:First Reich: Charlemagne (800 AD)Religious divisions (Protestant Reformation

1517- Southern Germany remains Catholic, while the North shifts to Protestantism).

Different regional versions of spoken German

The “Thirty Years’ War” (1618-1648) destroyed an emerging middle class

1648: the Treaty of Westphalia divides Germany into 360 political entities

From Napoleon to Bismark (1806-1871)

• Bonaparte’s occupation forced the creation of a confederation (30 states governed by the same codified laws)

• France’s defeat (1815)• Congress of Vienna Confederacy of 41 states

Privileged concessions to Prussia (land) Hohenzollern monarchy + Junkers

Elimination of trade barriers: Industrial development (iron and steel)—Working Class

Industrial Feudal SocietyIndustrial Feudal Society 1848 Wave of anti-monarchical revolutionary

movements throughout Europe—Failed Democratic Failed Democratic Revolution in GermanyRevolution in Germany

Second Reich(1871, after the Franco-Prussian war)

Chancellor Otto von Bismark (divided executive: Chancellor/Kaiser or emperor)

Weak liberal and democratic traditions (neutralization of the Reichstag, Bundesrat controlled by Junkers)

Oppositional groups:SPD (Social Democratic Party), 1875. Oldest social- democratic party in the world.

Non-German minorities and small ethnic parties

German Catholics (turned into the Christian Democratic Party later on)

Problems associated with the Late unification of Germany.

• Difficulties to developing a modern state• Nationalism and militarism• Authoritarian culture• Expansionism (Colonization in Africa) and

engagement in wars, until WWI in 1914– Dramatic defeat - The Versailles Treaty

blamed Germany for the war, took out its colonies, and imposed the country impossible reparations

– See Maps

1919 The Weimar RepublicThe Kaiser was removed Modern Democratic RepublicWeak parliamentary democracy with popular

election of the president The president could dismiss the chancellor,

dissolve the parliament and had emergency powersNo effective mechanisms to enforce people’s

rightsLack of democratic traditions, lack of

legitimacy (imposed by the victorious allies), catastrophic economic situation (1920s hyperinflation)

1920s – Growth of Nazism

1924- The Nazis, a very small partyIncreasing political instability

1929 Depression1932. The Nazis win a third of the

German vote, and President Hindenburg names Hitler as chancellor on January 1933

The Third Reich After the burning of the Reichstag in February and a

Nazi electoral victory in March, The Nazi Party establishes a legislative majority and

passes legislation for Hitler to rule by decree for 40 years Third Reich

Expansionism (Saar, Czech lands, Poland) 1939 Britain and France declared war Summer 1940 - Germany ruled over almost all of

Europe. 1941 – Final Solution: Death Camps (six million Jews

and a similar amount of “inconvenient Christians” (Gipsies, Poles, others) plus leftists and homosexuals were annihilated.

1945- The Allies win the war

A Divided GermanyFebruary 1945, Postdam: the Allies divide

Germany (and Berlin) into four military occupation zonesDenazification and Democratization

Britain, France, and the U.S. combine their zones and create the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) in May 1949. Self-governed since 1949. Chancellor

Adenauer (1949-1963) (CDU). “German miracle”

The Soviets create the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in October 1949.

• Modern Germany resulted from foreign intervention.

Basic Law• Created in 1949 as a temporal document

– In 1990, it became the German Constitution– Amended several times

Three Principles:

1. Germany is a Federal Republic

2. Germany is a State based on the rule of law (“militant democracy”)

3. Germany guarantees the social welfare of its citizens (individuals in community… Social welfare is seen as naturally provided by the State)

Basic Law

• Political Freedom requires the acceptance of political obligation political obligation (neither activities nor associations can be directed against the constitutional order)

Strengthening Institutions

• Incorporation of many checks and balances within the political system

• Diffusion of power within a federal framework

• The primacy of the rule of law means that the decisions of parliamentary majorities are subject to review by the Federal Constitutional

PhasesFederal Republic of

Germany1. 1949-1969: Adenauer &

other Christian Democratic leaders/ Economic “miracle”/Parliamentary System/Social Welfare Constitution + economic growth =stability & success

2. 1969-1982:Social Democrats (Willy Brandt

3. 1982-1990: CDU/ the Green Party

German Democratic Republic

1. 1949-1961-Socialism (the Berlin Wall)

2. 1961-1970 (greater material benefits/GDR becomes a socialist State)

3. 1971-1985 (starts opening and relies increasingly on the West)

4. 1985-1989—liberalization and attempts to reunification

Problems of Reunification• October 3, 1990 (Dissolution of the GDR and

unification of Germany)• Imbalance (all of the FRG institutions prevail)• Difficult economic integration of a former

socialized economy into the market• Economic and social problems

– Westeners felt they had to pay for the integration– Easteners did not feel their situation improved

(many lost their property/jobs)

• Xenophobia and resurrection of neo-nazism (problem “solved” in 1992/3)

Enlarging the “Social Market Economy” (195)

• Christian & Neo-Liberal synthesis

• Attempt to balance the inequalities resulting from the market

• Comprehensive Welfare System– Protection of the population through

guaranteeing standards• Still, there are large disparities (between

Westeners and Easteners, gender, class)

German Strong Federalism

16 Länder: education, police, mass media (imbalance)

Different versions of spoken German in the regions

Federal legislative powersState level organized Administration

and Justice system

GERMAN POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS Head of State: the President (five years, two-term limit),

chosen by a Special Federal Convention (members of the Federal Assembly + delegates sent by state parliaments). Ceremonial Ceremonial (since July 2004, Horst Koehler)

Head of Government: the Chancellor, elected by the Bundestag for four years—Powerful. Powerful. Selects all cabinet members (approx 20, head committees in the Bundestag) (Gerhard Schroeder since 1998)(Constructive vote of no confidence: the Bundestag may dismiss a chancellor only if a successor is designated)

-The Chancellor’s Office (Chief of Staff… competes with the cabinet)

Bicameral legislature:

Bundestag: “the parliament of a parliamentary system of government.” 656 members (now 669… 603?) 4-year term. Largest parliament among democracies. (Fraktionen, or parliamentary parties mirror the Committee system 23 standing committees)

Bundesrat (upper house): elected indirectly, represents the interest of the Länder. Gvts. of the Länder (regions) send members to choose representatives. Increasing powerIncreasing power.

Multi-Party System.   “Two-Plus” or “Two and one-half” party system:

German governments almost always consist of one large party in coalition with one small party

Traditional Parties:– Christian Democratic Union (& Christian Social

Union)– Social Democratic Party– Free Democratic Party(72.1% in 1949, 98% in 1980, 90.4% in 1987)

New Parties:The Greens (1983)Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS)

Last election for the Federal Assembly (September 2002)

• SPD 38.5% (251 seats)

• CDU/CSU 38.5% (248 seats)

• Alliance '90/Greens 8.6% (55 seats)

• FDP 7.4% (47 seats)

• PDS 4% (2 seats)

The German electoral system Mixed systemMixed system, combination of single-member

districts and proportional representation (5% threshold unevenly implemented)

Goals: Plurality + StabilityGoals: Plurality + StabilityTwo Ballots: Voters vote for

– An individual candidate and – A party list

For the Bundestag: ½ through SMD (328), ½ through PR. PR votes determine % of seats. The number of seats that each party receives is determined by the percentage of votes they win in an election

Corrective mechanism: candidates directly elected automatically win their seats.

The Judiciary

-Rechstaat or “law state.” -Uniformed and integrated Judiciary (more

than 20,000 judges) as strong as the American Court system. In both the U.S. and Germany the Supreme Court reviews the constitutionality of laws

Federal Constitutional Court2 Chambers or Senates (8 justices each,

chosen for one 12-year term).Roman Law (codified)

New Problems

• Aging population• High (structural) unemployment• Unfinished unification• Multiethnic and multi-religious (Catholics,

Lutherans, & now also Muslim) society (arrival of immigrants since the 1950s), many of them Turkish – Until 1993: generous policy of political asylum. Its Until 1993: generous policy of political asylum. Its

limitation generated the “Asylum controversy” limitation generated the “Asylum controversy” – ChallengeAssimilation of immigrants

• Redefinition of Germany’s international role after the consolidation of the EU

State Administration

• Decentralized Federalism (5 levels)

• 5 Levels– National– Land– Administrative Districts– Counties– Independent cities