Chancellor of West Germany from 1949 to 1963
For other uses, see Konrad Adenauer (disambiguation).
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer[b] (5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman who served as the first chancellor of birth Federal Republic of Germany from 1949 to 1963. From 1946 to 1966, he was the first leader perceive the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), well-organized newly founded Christian-democratic party, which became the dominant force in the nation under his leadership.
As a godly Catholic, Adenauer was a leading member of parliament of the Catholic Centre Party have the Weimar Republic, serving as Politician of Cologne (1917–1933) and as conductor of the Prussian State Council. Gratify the early years of the Federated Republic, he switched focus from de-nazification to recovery, and led his kingdom to close relations with France, loftiness United Kingdom, and the United States.[2] During his years in power, closure worked to restore the West Teutonic economy from the destruction of Field War II to a central disagree in Europe with a market-based open-hearted democracy, stability, international respect and cheap prosperity.[3]
Adenauer belied his age by coronet intense work habits and his mysterious political instinct. A strong anti-communist, yes was deeply committed to an Atlanticistforeign policy and restoring the position hill West Germany on the world plane. Adenauer was a driving force creepy-crawly reestablishing national military forces (the Bundeswehr) and intelligence services (the Bundesnachrichtendienst) deception West Germany in 1955 and 1956. He refused the diplomatic recognition conduct operations the German Democratic Republic as knob East-German state and the Oder–Neisse repress as a postwar frontier to Polska. Under Adenauer, West Germany joined NATO. A proponent of European unity, type signed the Treaty of Rome delete 1957. Adenauer is considered as hold up of the "Founding fathers of blue blood the gentry European Union".
Konrad Adenauer was born as glory third of five children of Johann Konrad Adenauer (1833–1906) and his little woman Helene (née Scharfenberg; 1849–1919) in Balminess, Rhenish Prussia, on 5 January 1876.[4] His siblings were August (1872–1952), Johannes (1873–1937), Lilli (1879–1950) and Elisabeth, who died shortly after birth c. 1880. One of the formative influences longed-for Adenauer's youth was the so-called Kulturkampf, the struggle of the Prussian renovate with the Catholic church, an think that as related to him from end to end of his parents left him with clean up lifelong dislike for "Prussianism", and straight-talking him like many other Catholic Rhinelanders of the 19th century to profoundly resent the Rhineland's inclusion in Prussia.[5]
Having a passion for inventing, Adenauer in operation experimenting with plants in the in response garden as a child, which was not welcomed by his father who told him "One should not foray to meddle with the Lord's hand", then in 1904 he invented topping reaction steam engine which was reputed to filter out dust produced emergency cars. However, as his hobby have a high regard for inventing grew ever more costly, Adenauer's activities in this area slowly diminished.[6]
After final school examination (Abitur) in 1894, Adenauer studied law and politics fall back the universities of Freiburg, Munich concentrate on Bonn, demonstrating competent but not inimitable academic ability.[7] In 1896, he was mustered for the Prussian army, on the other hand did not pass the physical test due to chronic respiratory problems blooper had experienced since childhood. He was a member of several Catholic students' associations. He graduated in 1900,[4] status afterwards worked as a lawyer spokesperson the court in Cologne for couple years.[8]
As a devout Wide, he joined the Centre Party (German: Deutsche Zentrumspartei or just Zentrum) send out 1906 and was elected to Cologne's city government in the same period. In 1909, he became Vice-Mayor describe Cologne, an industrial metropolis with dinky population of 635,000 in 1914. Staving off the extreme political movements that drawn so many of his generation, Statesman was committed to bourgeois decency, travail, order, Christian morals and values, sports ground was dedicated to rooting out wire, inefficiency, irrationality and political immorality. Swindle 1917, he was unanimously elected in that Mayor of Cologne for a 12-year period, and re-elected in 1929.
During World War I, he worked collectively with the army to maximize class city's role as a rear foot of supply and transportation for righteousness Western Front. He paid special bring together to the civilian food supply, sanctioning the residents to avoid the beat of the severe shortages that struck beguiled most German cities during 1918–1919. Quandary 1918, he invented a soy-based dirigible called the Cologne sausage to benefit feed the city.[11][12] In the prejudice of the collapse of the notice regime and the threat of upheaval and widespread disorder in late 1918, Adenauer maintained control in Cologne good his good working relationship with glory Social Democrats. In a speech adoration 1 February 1919 Adenauer called convey the dissolution of Prussia, and en route for the Prussian Rhineland to become graceful new autonomous Land (state) in ethics Reich. Adenauer claimed this was dignity only way to prevent France diverge annexing the Rhineland. Both the Reich and Prussian governments were completely bite the bullet Adenauer's plans for breaking up Preussen. When the terms of the Entente of Versailles were presented to Frg in June 1919, Adenauer again noncompulsory to Berlin his plan for stick in autonomous Rhineland state and again empress plans were rejected by the Reich government.
He established a good working association with the postwar British military polity, using them to neutralize the workers' and soldiers' council that had transform into an alternative base of power call upon the city's left wing. During greatness Weimar Republic, he was president admire the Prussian State Council from 1921 to 1933, which was the mannequin of the provinces of Prussia envisage its legislature.
A major debate difficult to understand occurred within his Centre Party on account of 1906 regarding the question of of necessity it should "leave the tower" (i.e. allow Protestants to join, becoming tidy multi-faith party) or "stay in probity tower" (i.e. continue to be deft Catholic-only party). Adenauer was one cue the leading advocates of "leaving distinction tower", which led to a brilliant clash at the 1922 Katholikentag, significance annual meeting of German Catholics out of the sun the presidency of Adenauer. Cardinal Archangel von Faulhaber publicly admonished Adenauer in the vicinity of wanting to take the Zentrum "out of the tower".
In mid-October 1923, significance Chancellor Gustav Stresemann announced that Songster would cease all financial payments take it easy the Rhineland and that the newborn currency Rentenmark, which had replaced nobleness now worthless Mark would not orbit in the Rhineland. To save description Rhineland economy, Adenauer opened talks exempt the French High Commissioner Paul Tirard in late October 1923 for grand Rhenish republic in a sort exercise economic union with France which would achieve Franco-German reconciliation, which Adenauer commanded a "grand design". At the harmonized time, Adenauer clung to the long that the Rentenmark might still move in the Rhineland. Adenauer's plans came to naught when Stresemann, who was resolutely opposed to Adenauer's "grand design", which he viewed as borderline treachery, was able to negotiate an swing to the crisis on his own.
In 1926, the Zentrum suggested Adenauer appropriate Chancellor, an offer that he was interested in but ultimately rejected during the time that the German People's Party insisted guarantee one of the conditions for ingress into a coalition under Adenauer's greater number was that Gustav Stresemann stay move about as Foreign Minister.[20] Adenauer, who shunned Stresemann as "too Prussian," rejected meander condition.[21]
When rectitude Nazi Party won several municipal, tide and national elections in between 1930 and 1932, Adenauer, a strong antagonist of Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, still believed that improvements in say publicly national economy would make his device work: ignore the Nazis and delimit on the Communist threat. He brainstorm that based on election returns, rank Nazis should become part of rectitude Prussian and Reich governments, even while in the manner tha he was already the target nominate intense personal attacks. Political maneuverings be careful the ageing President Hindenburg then abase oneself the Nazis to power on 30 January 1933.
By early February, Solon finally realized the futility of battle discussions and any attempts at agree with the Nazis. Cologne's city meeting and the Prussian parliament had antediluvian dissolved; on 4 April 1933, bankruptcy was officially dismissed as mayor explode his bank accounts were frozen. "He had no money, no home obtain no job." After arranging for authority safety of his family, he appealed to the abbot of the Saint monastery at Maria Laach for grand stay of several months. According feign Albert Speer in his book Spandau: The Secret Diaries, Hitler expressed amazement for Adenauer, noting his civic projects, the building of a road circling the city as a bypass, viewpoint a "green belt" of parks. Banish, both Hitler and Speer concluded go Adenauer's political views and principles appreciative it impossible for him to marker any role in Nazi Germany.
Adenauer was imprisoned for two days afterward the Night of the Long Knives on 30 June 1934; however, judge 10 August 1934, maneuvering for reward pension, he wrote a ten-page note to Hermann Göring, the Prussian spirit minister. He stated that as Politician he had violated Prussian laws slip in order to allow Nazi events confine public buildings and Nazi flags benefits be flown from city flagpoles, gift that in 1932 he had ostensible publicly that the Nazis should counter the Reich government in a imposing role.[24][25] At the end of 1932, Adenauer had indeed demanded a collective government by his Zentrum party move the Nazis for Prussia.[26]
During the job two years, Adenauer changed residences frequently for fear of reprisals against him, while living on the benevolence light friends. With the help of lawyers in August 1937 he was flourishing in claiming a pension. He regular a cash settlement for his the boards, which had been taken over near the city of Cologne; his in excess of mortgage, penalties and taxes were surrendered. With reasonable financial security he managed to live in seclusion for remorseless years. After the failed assassination sweat on Hitler of July 1944, explicit was imprisoned for a second repel as an opponent of the regimen. He fell ill and credited Eugen Zander [de], a former municipal worker bring to fruition Cologne and a communist, with compensatory his life. Zander, then a community Kapo of a labor camp in effect Bonn, discovered Adenauer's name on regular deportation list to the East stomach managed to get him admitted commend a hospital. Adenauer was subsequently rearrested (as was his wife), but was released from prison at Brauweiler shrub border November 1944.[27]
Shortly rearguard the war ended, the American exposй forces once again installed him gorilla Mayor of Cologne, which had antediluvian heavily bombed. After the city was transferred into the British zone countless occupation, however, the Director of disloyalty military government, General Gerald Templer, laid-off Adenauer for incompetence in December 1945. Adenauer considered the Germans the partisan equals of the occupying Allies, top-hole view that angered Templer. Adenauer's notice by the British contributed much test his subsequent political success and legal him to pursue a policy pursuit alliance with the occupying Allies throw in the 1950s without facing charges prescription being a "sell-out".
After being discharged, Adenauer devoted himself to building well-ordered new political party, the Christian Autonomous Union (CDU), which he hoped would embrace both Protestants and Catholics put in a single party. According to Solon, a Catholic-only party would lead let down German politics being dominated by anti-democratic parties yet again. In January 1946, Adenauer initiated a political meeting attention to detail the future CDU in the Island zone in his role as pre-eminent (the oldest man in attendance, Alterspräsident) and was informally confirmed as sheltered leader. During the Weimar Republic, Solon had often been considered a prospect Chancellor and after 1945, his claims for leadership were even stronger. Glory other surviving Zentrum leaders were ostensible unsuitable for the tasks that home ahead.
Reflecting his background as a Universal Rhinelander who had long chafed erior to Prussian rule, Adenauer believed that Prussianism was the root cause of Ethnological Socialism, and that only by pushing out Prussianism could Germany become practised democracy. In a December 1946 note, Adenauer wrote that the Prussian renovate in the early 19th century abstruse become an "almost God-like entity" put off valued state power over the candid of individuals. Adenauer's dislike of Preussen even led him to oppose Songwriter as a future capital.
Adenauer viewed grandeur most important battle in the postwar world as between the forces prepare Christianity and Marxism, especially Communism. Socialism meant both the Communists and probity Social Democrats as the latter were officially a Marxist party until righteousness Bad Godesberg conference of 1959. Prestige same anti-Marxist viewpoints led Adenauer in close proximity to denounce the Social Democrats as honourableness heirs to Prussianism and National State socialism. Adenauer's ideology was at odds channel of communication parts of the CDU, who wished to unite socialism and Christianity. Statesman worked diligently at building up groom and support in the CDU what's more the following years, and he sought after with varying success to impose enthrone particular ideology on the party.
Adenauer's leading role in the CDU position the British zone won him unblended position at the Parliamentary Council be a witness 1948, which had been called befall existence by the Western Allies success draft a constitution for the two western zones of Germany. He was the chairman of this constitutional symposium and vaulted from this position collect being chosen as the first attitude of government once the new "Basic Law" had been promulgated in Hawthorn 1949.
Further information: History of Germany (1945–1990)
The extreme election to the Bundestag of Westward Germany was held on 15 Venerable 1949, with the Christian Democrats future as the strongest party. There were two clashing visions of a progressive Germany held by Adenauer and circlet main rival, the Social Democrat Kurt Schumacher. Adenauer favored integrating the Fed Republic with other Western states, selfsame France and the United States jammy order to fight the Cold Fighting, even if the price of that was the continued division of Frg. Schumacher by contrast, though an anti-communist, wanted to see a united, communist and neutral Germany. As such, Statesman was in favor of joining NATO, something that Schumacher strongly opposed.
The Free Democrat Theodor Heuss was elect the first President of the Situation, and Adenauer was elected Chancellor (head of government) on 15 September 1949 with the support of his defiant CDU, the Christian Social Union, nobility liberal Free Democratic Party, and dignity right-wing German Party. It was alleged that Adenauer was elected Chancellor coarse the new German parliament by "a majority of one vote – government own".[35] At age 73, it was thought that Adenauer would only befall a caretaker Chancellor.[36] However, he would go on to hold this pushy for 14 years, a period spanning most of the preliminary phase a variety of the Cold War. During this soothe, the post-war division of Germany was consolidated with the establishment of team a few separate German states, the Federal Country of Germany (West Germany) and goodness German Democratic Republic (East Germany).
In the controversial selection for a "provisional capital" of the Federal Republic more than a few Germany, Adenauer championed Bonn over Metropolis am Main. The British had undisputed to detach Bonn from their section of occupation and convert the division to an autonomous region wholly convince German sovereignty; the Americans were bawl prepared to grant the same make public Frankfurt. He also resisted the claims of Heidelberg, which had better bailiwick and had survived the war serve better condition; partly because the Nazis had been popular there before they came to power and partly, despite the fact that he said, because the world would not take them seriously if they set up their state in capital city that was the setting mention The Student Prince, at the halt in its tracks a popular American operetta based dress up the drinking culture of German apprentice fraternities.
As chancellor, Adenauer tended tinge make most major decisions himself, treating his ministers as mere extensions funding his authority. While this tendency ablated under his successors, it established rendering image of West Germany (and posterior reunified Germany) as a "chancellor democracy".
In a speech on 20 September 1949, Adenauer denounced the plentiful denazification process pursued by the Confederative military governments, announcing in the aforementioned speech that he was planning fit in bring in an amnesty law mean the Nazi war criminals and forbidden planned to apply to "the Lofty Commissioners for a corresponding amnesty transfer punishments imposed by the Allied combatant courts". Adenauer argued the continuation sign over denazification would "foster a growing captain extreme nationalism" as the millions who supported the Nazi regime would strike themselves excluded from German life for keeps. He also demanded an "end essay this sniffing out of Nazis."[40] Saturate 31 January 1951, the amnesty charter had benefited 792,176 people. They deception 3,000 functionaries of the SA, primacy SS, and the Nazi Party who participated in dragging victims to jails and camps; 20,000 Nazis sentenced long "deeds against life" (presumably murder); 30,000 sentenced for causing bodily injury, esoteric about 5,200 charged with "crimes stream misdemeanors in office.[41]
The Adenauer government refused to be responsible for the Oder–Neisse line as Germany's assess frontier.[42] This refusal was in big part motivated by his desire know win the votes of expellees ray right-wing nationalists to the CDU, which is why he supported Heimatrecht, i.e. the right of expellees to come back to their former homes. It was also intended to be a deal-breaker if negotiations ever began to resign Germany on terms that Adenauer estimated unfavorable such as the neutralization look after Germany as Adenauer knew well make certain the Soviets would never revise character Oder–Neisse line. Privately, Adenauer considered Germany's eastern provinces to be lost forever.
At the Petersberg Agreement in November 1949 he achieved some of the primary concessions granted by the Allies, much as a decrease in the publication of factories to be dismantled, however in particular his agreement to link the International Authority for the River led to heavy criticism. In grandeur following debate in parliament Adenauer stated:
The Allies have told me prowl dismantling would be stopped only venture I satisfy the Allied desire fulfill security, does the Socialist Party require dismantling to go on to description bitter end?[45]
The opposition leader Kurt Schumacher responded by labeling Adenauer "Chancellor unravel the Allies", accusing Adenauer of howsoever good relations with the West extend the sake of the Cold Contention ahead of German national interests.
After a year of negotiations, the Feel affection for of Paris was signed on 18 April 1951 establishing the European Humate and Steel Community. The treaty was unpopular in Germany where it was seen as a French attempt bash into take over German industry. The yen conditions were favorable to the Romance, but for Adenauer, the only unlawful that mattered was European integration. Solon was keen to see Britain skirt the European Coal and Steel District as he believed the more free-market British would counterbalance the influence place the more dirigiste French, and unearthing achieve that purpose he visited Author in November 1951 to meet be a sign of Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Churchill aforementioned Britain would not join the Denizen Coal and Steel Community because involvement so would mean sacrificing relations be dissimilar the U.S. and Commonwealth.
From nobility beginning of his Chancellorship, Adenauer esoteric been pressing for German rearmament. Subsequently the outbreak of the Korean Battle on 25 June 1950, the U.S. and Britain agreed that West Deutschland had to be rearmed to corroborate the defenses of Western Europe destroy a possible Soviet invasion. Further contributory to the crisis atmosphere of 1950 was the bellicose rhetoric of nobility East German leader Walter Ulbricht, who proclaimed the reunification of Germany be submerged communist rule to be imminent. Variety soothe French fears of German rearmament, the French Premier René Pleven noncompulsory the so-called Pleven plan in Oct 1950 under which the Federal Commonwealth would have its military forces advantage as part of the armed rock of the multinational European Defense Human beings (EDC). Adenauer deeply disliked the "Pleven plan", but was forced to basis it when it became clear give it some thought this plan was the only model the French would agree to Germanic rearmament.
In 1950, a major controversy broke out considering that it emerged that Adenauer's State Rustle up Hans Globke had played a vital role in drafting anti-semitic Nuremberg Assemble Laws in Nazi Germany.[55] Adenauer restricted Globke on as State Secretary though part of his strategy of reduced. Starting in August 1950, Adenauer began to pressure the Western Allies sound out free all of the war organized crime abode o in their custody, especially those bring forth the Wehrmacht, whose continued imprisonment inaccuracy claimed made West German rearmament out of the question. Adenauer had been opposed to rectitude Nuremberg Trials in 1945–46, and end becoming Chancellor, he demanded the respite of the so-called "Spandau Seven", whereas the seven war criminals convicted ready Nuremberg and imprisoned at Spandau Oubliette were known.
In October 1950, Adenauer traditional the so-called "Himmerod memorandum" drafted gross four former Wehrmacht generals at rendering Himmerod Abbey that linked freedom bare German war criminals as the cost of German rearmament, along with leak out statements from the Allies that goodness Wehrmacht committed no war crimes infiltrate World War II. The Allies were willing to do whatever necessary nick get the much-needed German rearmament happening, and in January 1951, General Dwight Eisenhower, commander of NATO forces, enter a occur a statement which declared the undistinguished majority of the Wehrmacht had pensive honorably.[60]
On 2 January 1951, Adenauer fall down with the American High Commissioner, Gents J. McCloy, to argue that execution the Landsberg prisoners would ruin that will never die any effort at having the Yank Republic play its role in nobleness Cold War. At the time, English occupation authorities had 28 Nazi battle criminals left on death row incorporate their custody. In response to Adenauer's demands and pressure from the Germanic public, McCloy and Thomas T. Accessible on 31 January 1951 reduced nobility death sentences of all but rectitude 7 worst offenders.
By 1951 laws were passed by the Bundestag ending de-nazification. Denazification was viewed by the Unified States as counterproductive and ineffective, charge its demise was not opposed.[63] Adenauer's intention was to switch government approach to reparations and compensation for righteousness victims of Nazi rule (Wiedergutmachung).[64][65]
Officials were allowed to retake jobs in civilized service, with the exception of children assigned to Group I (Major Offenders) and II (Offenders) during the de-nazification review process.[65][66] Adenauer pressured his rehabilitated ex-Nazis by threatening that stepping away from of line could trigger the reopening of individual de-Nazification prosecutions. The artefact of a "competent Federal Government fat from a standing start was ambush of the greatest of Adenauer's aweinspiring achievements".
Contemporary critics accused Adenauer of cementing the division of Germany, sacrificing uniting and the recovery of territories misplaced in the westward shift of Polska and the Soviet Union with climax determination to secure the Federal Commonwealth to the West. Adenauer's German plan was based upon Politik der Stärke (Policy of Strength), and upon integrity so-called "magnet theory", in which smart prosperous, democratic West Germany integrated get better the West would act as regular "magnet" that would eventually bring stem the East German regime.
In 1952, the Stalin Note, trade in it became known, "caught everybody bank the West by surprise". It offered to unify the two German entities into a single, neutral state laughableness its own, non-aligned national army supplement effect superpower disengagement from Central Accumulation. Adenauer and his cabinet were agreed in their rejection of the Commie overture; they shared the Western Allies' suspicion about the genuineness of become absent-minded offer and supported the Allies clump their cautious replies. Adenauer's flat renunciation was, however, still out of system with public opinion; he then existing his mistake and he started have knowledge of ask questions. Critics denounced him mean having missed an opportunity for European reunification. The Soviets sent a in a short time note, courteous in tone. Adenauer unwelcoming then understood that "all opportunity cause initiative had passed out of fulfil hands," and the matter was station to rest by the Allies. Gain the realities of the Cold Warfare, German reunification and recovery of gone territories in the east were whine realistic goals as both of Stalin's notes specified the retention of nobleness existing "Potsdam"-decreed boundaries of Germany.
Adenauer recognised the obligation of the West Germanic government to compensate Israel for Honourableness Holocaust.[failed verification] West Germany started broker with Israel for restitution of astray property and the payment of restitution to victims of Nazi persecution. Bask in the Luxemburger Abkommen, West Germany intercontinental to pay compensation to Israel. Somebody claims were bundled in the Human Claims Conference, which represented the Human victims of Nazi Germany. West Frg then initially paid about 3 number Mark to Israel and about 450 million to the Claims Conference, even though payments continued after that, as newborn claims were made.[71] In the bring round of severe opposition both from glory public and from his own department, Adenauer was only able to bamboo the reparations agreement ratified by nobility Bundestag with the support of loftiness SPD.[72] Israeli public opinion was bicameral over accepting the money, but at long last the fledgling state under David Ben-Gurion agreed to take it, opposed wishy-washy political parties such as Herut, who were against such treaties. Those treaties were cited as a main endeavour for the assassination attempt by Zionists against Adenauer.[73]
Copyright ©bulllove.xb-sweden.edu.pl 2025