German history: 1914 to 1990 - bpb.de · war era is officially over. 9 November 1989 Fall of the...
Transcript of German history: 1914 to 1990 - bpb.de · war era is officially over. 9 November 1989 Fall of the...
— Legende
Abbreviations:APO=Extra-ParliamentaryOppositionBHE=AssociationofDisplacedandDisenfranchisedGermansCDU=ChristianDemocraticUnionCSU=Christian-SocialUnionDDP=GermanDemocraticPartyDP=GermanPartyEEC=EuropeanEconomicCommunityFDP=Free-DemocraticPartyGDR=GermanDemocraticRepublicKPD=GermanCommunistPartyNATO=NorthAtlanticTreatyOrganisationNSDAP=NationalSocialistGermanWorkers'PartyRAF=RedArmyFactionSBZ=SovietOccupationZoneSED=GermanSocialistUnityPartySPD=GermanSocialDemocraticPartySS=Schutzstaffel(paramilitaryunitsoftheNSDAP)US/USA=UnitedStatesofAmerica
Comments:Theseniorpartywithinacoalitiongovernmentisunderlinedinthetext.
* CDU/CSUheldpowerfrom1949until1963underChancellorAdenauer,eitherasauniongovernment(1960/1961)orwithjuniorpartners(FDP,DP,GB/BHE)inacoalitiongovernment.
** AlthoughtheGermanDemocraticRepublicwasfoundedinOctober1949,thepostofGeneralSecretaryoftheSEDCentralCommitteewasonlycreatedatthe3rdSEDPartyConferenceinJuly1950.From1953to1976thepositionwasrenamed“FirstSecretaryoftheSEDCentralCommittee”.
FurtherinformationaboutpowerpoliticsintheGDRisavailableat:www.hdg.de/lemo/html/DasGeteilteDeutschland/index.html,includingmaterial(relatingtoevents)post-October1989.
— Impressum
—Herausgeberin:BundeszentralefürpolitischeBildung/bpb,Adenauerallee86,53113Bonn,www.bpb.de
—Autor:RobbyGeyer,Heidelberg—Redaktion:IrisMöckel(verantwortlich),NinaSchillings(beidebpb);Mitarbeit:Dr.EckartThurich—EnglischeÜbersetzung:MartinEiermann,London;Lektorat:DavidThorne,Bornheim
—Gestaltung:Leitwerk.BürofürKommunikation,Köln,www.leitwerk.com—Illustrationen:KatharinaPlass,unterVerwendungvonIllustrationenvonIlkaHelmig,IvanaJovic,NadineMagner,CorneliaPistorius,FriederikeSchlenz,AnikaTakagi,CarolinZorn(alleLeitwerk)
—Druck:OffizinScheufeleDruckundMedienGmbH+Co.KG,Stuttgart
—Urheberrechte:TextundIllustrationensindurheber-rechtlichgeschützt.DerTextkanninSchulenzuUnterrichts-zweckenvergütungsfreivervielfältigtwerden.
—Redaktionsschluss:Mai2012,Bestell-Nr.5.431,ISBN978-3-8389-7065-3
—HinweisederRedaktion:1.DieZeitleistezumHerunterladenfindenSiehier:www.bpb.de/falter(>Zeitgeschichte)
2.Kritik,Lob,Anregungenbittean:[email protected]
Falter Zeitgeschichte
German history: 1914 to 1990
11 March 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail GorbachevbecomesGeneralSecretaryof
theCommunistPartyintheSovietUnionand
launchestheGlasnost(transparency)andPerestroika
(remodelling)reforms.Heremainspresidentuntil
1991butcannotpreventtheimplosionofthe
EasternBloc.Gorbachevconductsdisarmament
negotiationswithUSPresident
Ronald Reagan.
3 August 1984 First email
TheUniversityofKarlsruhereceivesthefirstemailinGermany.ItwassentfromtheUnitedStatesaspartof
aprojectaimedatimprovingscientificcommunicationandexchange.Today,itishardtoimagineaworld
withoutemailandothernewcommunicationtechnologiesasmorethan50millionGermansusetheinternet.
3 October 1990
German Unification
Theaccessionoffivenewstatesto
theGermanconstitutionfinalises
theprocessofformalreunification
ofGermany.Thefirstnational
electioninunifiedGermanyisheld
on2 December.Thealliedpowers
consenttounificationinthe“Two
PlusFourAgreement”.Thepost-
wareraisofficiallyover.
9 November 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall
TheGDRregimeopensthebordertoWestBerlin“withoutfurtherdelay”.Inthe
followingdays,theremainingbordertoWestGermanyissuccessivelyopened.
AsfromMay 1989,manyEastGermancitizenshadfledtoGermanyviaHungary
andAustria.IntheWestGermanembassyinPrague,thousandsofpeoplefrom
theGDRseekrefugebeforebeingallowedtotraveltotheWest.
1 October 1982
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl(CDU)iselectedchancellor
inaCDU/CSU/FDPcoalitiongovernment.
HispredecessorHelmut Schmidt(SPD)
hadbeenremovedfromofficethrough
aconstructivevoteofnoconfidence.
Kohlisthelongest-servingchancellorin
Germanhistory;heremainsinofficeuntil
1998.Hisachievementsduringthetime
ofreunificationhaveearnedKohl
thenickname“ChancellorofUnification”.
5 September 1977 “German Autumn” and the RAF
The“RedArmyFaction”(RAF)abductsHanns Martin Schleyer,presidentoftheGerman
Employers’Federation.On13 October,theRAFhighjackstheLufthansaairliner
“Landshut”inordertobargainthereleaseofimprisonedRAFmembers.Eliteforces
oftheGSG-9policeunitstormtheplane.SeveralRAFmemberscommit
suicide,andSchleyeriskilled.
15 August 1969 Woodstock
History’smostfamousmusicfestivallastsuntiltheearlyhours
of18 August.32bandsandartistsperformblues,folk,soul,
androckmusicinfrontofseveralhundredthousandfans.
Woodstockisregardedasahighlightofthehippiemovement
andasaniconicrepresentationofyouthcultureinthe1960s.
4 December 1971 First McDonald’s
Germany’sfirstMcDonald’sfranchiseopensinMunich.Today,morethan1,400McDonald’s
existinGermany,andotherfastfoodchainshaveopenedrestaurantsaswell.Fastfoodis
criticisedforbeingunhealthy,andharmfultotheenvironment.
21 December 1972
Basic Treaty
TheFederalRepublicandtheGDRsign
the“BasicTreaty”,whichemphasises
mutualrecognition,therenunciation
ofarmedattacks,andtheexchangeof
diplomaticrepresentatives.Further
treatieswithstatesfromtheEastern
Blocfollowandimproverelationswith
WestGermany.
13 August 1961
Construction of the Berlin Wall
TheGDRregimeclosestheborderbetweenEastandWest
BerlintopreventemigrationtotheWest.Muchoftheborder
betweenEastandWestGermanyhadalreadybeenclosed
andheavilyfortifiedsince1952.Around3.5millionpeople
stillmanagetoleavetheGDRbetween1945and1961.
Atleast136peoplediewhiletryingtocrosstheBerlinWall
between1961and1989.
9 November 1923
Beer Hall Putsch
Adolf HitlerandErich Ludendorffdeclarea
“nationalrevolution”inMunichandplanto
organiseamarchonBerlin.Localpolice
quicklysubduetheuprising.Hitlerislater
arrestedandsentencedtoprison,butis
releasedafterninemonthsfor“goodconduct”.
14 August 1919
Weimar Constitution
TheConstitutionalConvention
adoptsademocraticconstitution.
Itentersintoforceon14 August.
On11 February,Friedrich Ebert
iselectedpresidentinWeimar.
ThepoliticalpartiesSPD,DDP
andtheCentrePartyformthe
so-called“WeimarCoalition”.
26 April 1925
A new president
Paul von Hindenburgiselectedpresident
inarun-offelectionafterthedeathof
Friedrich Ebert.In1932,heisre-elected
againstAdolf Hitler.Hindenburgisa
monarchistwhocommandedtheGerman
forcesduringWorldWarI.Hebelievesin
the“stab-in-the-backlegend”,which
believesthatlackofpoliticalsupportat
homewasresponsibleforthedefeatof
Germanforces.
10 January 1927 Metropolis
Premiereofthesilentmovie“Metropolis”by
theGermandirectorFritz Lang.Thisscience
fictionmovieisnowregardedasoneofthe
mostimportantexpressionistworksinfilm
history.Criticsandaudiencesatthetime
didnotlikeitandpreferredtheincreasingly
popularmovieswithsound.Thefirstcinema
inBerlinopenedin1896.
28 July 1914 World War I
– triggeredbytheassassinationinSarajevo(28 June)
– 28 July:Austria-HungarydeclareswaronSerbia
– 1 August:TheGermanReichdeclareswaronRussia
– 3 August:TheGermanReichdeclareswaronFrance
– 5 August:GreatBritaindeclareswaronGermanyafter
GermantroopsinvadeBelgium
25 October 1929
Black Friday
StockpricesattheNewYorkStock
Exchangeplummetforseveraldays,
triggeringaglobaleconomiccrisis.
Germanyishitespeciallyhardas
foreignloansarewithdrawn.Morethan
sixmillionpeoplelosetheirjobsby1932.
30 March 1930
Presidential cabinet
Heinrich Brüningiselectedpresidentand
formsapresidentialcabinet.Itdoesnot
haveaparliamentarymajoritybut
usesemergencydecreestoenactpolicies.
Twomorepresidentialcabinetsfollow,
underFranz von Papen(1932)
andKurt von Schleicher(1932/33).
1925 Bauhaus in Dessau
TheBauhausisfoundedin1919byWalter GropiusinWeimarasaneducationalinstitution
forarchitecture,art,anddesign.In1925,itmovestoDessau.
16 July 1927
Money for the unemployed
Unemploymentinsurancebecomesthe
fourthpillaroftheGermanwelfarestate.
Chancellorvon Bismarckintroduced
healthinsurance(1883),accidentinsurance
(1884)andpensions(1889).
1 December 1925
Treaty of Locarno
TheTreatyofLocarnomarksthefirststeps
towardsthenormalisationofrelationsbetween
GermanyandtheAllies.Allpartiesagreeto
respectnationalborders.In1926,Germanyis
admittedtotheLeagueofNations(whichwas
foundedin1920),aninternationalorganisation
thataimstomaintainworldpeace.
7 November 1917
October Revolution in Russia
MutinoustroopsoccupystrategiclocationsinSt.Petersburg
on25 October(accordingtotheRussiancalendar).
ThegovernmentisoverthrownandreplacedbyaCouncilof
People’sCommissarsunderLenin’sleadership.Abloody
civilwarragesuntiltheBolsheviksgainvictorywiththehelp
oftheirmilitia,theRedArmy.
9 November 1918 Declaration of the Republic in Germany
Onhisowninitiativethechancellor,Max von BadenannouncestheabdicationofKaiser
Wilhelm II.Philipp Scheidemann(SPD)declaresthe“DemocraticRepublic”at2p.m.froma
windowoftheReichstag.Shortlyafterwards,Karl Liebknecht(laterKPD)announcesthe
“SocialistRepublic”fromtheBerlinCityPalace.Wilhelm IIofficiallyabdicateson28 November.
10 January 1920 Treaty of Versailles
WorldWarIisofficiallyover,andtheTreatyofVersaillesentersintoforce.
TheGermanReichanditsalliesaremadesolelyresponsibleforthe
outbreakofthewar;Germanyisforcedtoconcedeterritoryandmake
reparationpayments.Topromoteworldpeace,thetreatystipulatesthe
foundingofaninternationalLeagueofNations.
1923 Hyperinflation
ThevalueoftheMarkfallsasthegovernmentcontinuestoprint
money.Pricesexplodeandsuppliesbecomescarce.
On1 November,oneloafofbreadcosts192,000,000,000Mark
inthecityofKassel.Theintroductionofthe“DebtSecurityMark”
on15 Novemberbreaksthecycleofinflation.
1 August 1936
Olympic Games
From1 Augustuntil16 August,Berlin
playshosttotheSummerOlympic
Games.TheNaziregimeusesthe
eventtopresentitselftotheworld
asanopenandpeacefulcountry.
TheAfrican-Americansprinter
Jesse Owensbecomesthemost
successfulathleteinBerlin.Laterthat
year,thefirstgermanWinterOlympics
areheldinGarmisch-Partenkirchen.
20 January 1942
Wannsee Conference
SScommanderHeydrichmeets
seniorgovernmentandparty
officialsinavillaontheWannsee
inBerlintopresentaplan,already
inimplementation,fortheexter-
minationofallEuropeanJews
inGerman-heldterritory.By1945
aroundsixmillionpeoplehad
perishedintheHolocaust.
19 April 1943 Ghetto uprising
Asfrommid-1940,500,000Jewsfrom
GermanyandPolandwereforcedintoa4km2
sectionofWarsaw.Theghettoservesasa
collectionpointforJewsduetobedeported
intothedeathcamps.InApril 1943,ghetto
inmatesstageanuprising(despitebeing
insufficientlyarmed).IttakestheSSuntil16 May
tosubduetherevolt.
9 November 1938
“Night of Broken Glass”
TheNazisinciteattackson
Jewishsynagogues,houses
andshopsthroughoutGermany.
Jewishshopswereboycotted
asfrom1933,andJewishcivil
servantswerefiredfromtheir
jobs.In1935,theNazispassed
the“Nurembergracelaws”.
1940 Fanta is invented
TheingredientsfortheCocaColarecipearescarce
duringwartime.AGermanchemistdevelopsFanta,
anorange-flavouredwheydrink.Sincethe1950s,
Fantahasbeenproducedinothercountriesaswell,
albeitwithadifferentrecipe.
1948 First
Mustang jeans
TheL.Hermann
clothingfactoryin
Künzelsau,Germany,
(laterrenamed
“MustangJeans”)producesthe
firstpairofEuropeanjeans.
Theywereallegedlyinvented
bytheGermanemigree
Löb Strauß(laterLevi Strauss),
whomanufacturedthefirst
Americanpairofjeansin1873.
Inthe1950s,jeansturn
fromaworking-classiteminto
ayouthsymbolforfreedom
andrebellion.
10 December 1948
Human rights
ThemembersoftheUnited
Nations(UN)announcethe
UniversalDeclarationofHuman
Rights.TheUNhadbeen
foundedin1945andtoday
includes193membersstates.
EastandWestGermanywere
acceptedintotheUNin1973.
Themaintasksofthe
UNaretheprotection
ofglobalpeaceand
humanrights.
8 May 1945 German surrender
TheGermanWehrmachtunconditionally
surrenderstothealliedforces.WorldWarII
inEuropeisover.Japansurrenderson
2 September,aftertheexplosionsoftwo
atomicbombsinHiroshima(6 August)and
Nagasaki(9 August).WorldWarIIresulted
inanestimateddeathtollof50to70million
worldwide.
4 July 1954 The Miracle of Bern
TheWestGermanfootballteamwinstheworld
championshipsafterbeatingthefavourites,
Hungary,3:2inthefinalinSwitzerland.Further
WorldCupvictoriesin1974(inGermany,and
afterlosing0:1totheGDRintheopeninground)
and1990(inItaly).
23 May 1949 German Constitution
The“Grundgesetz”,theGermanconstitution,comesintoforce.
ItwasdraftedbytheParliamentaryCouncil(65electoralmembers,
includingfourwomen)withthebackingofthethreeWestern
allies.Theodor HeussisswornintoofficeasGermanpresidenton
12 September.Threedayslater,Konrad Adenauerbecomesthe
firstGermanchancellor.
20 June 1948
Currency reform
TheDeutschmarkisintro-
ducedinWestGermany.
ItisreplacedbytheEuro
in2002.EveryGerman
receivesfortyMark
“bounty”.Thecurrency
reformintheWestern
zonesresultsintheSoviet
blockadeofBerlin,which
theWesternAlliescounter
withtheBerlinairlift.
7 October 1949
The GDR is founded
TheSovietOccupationZone(SBZ)evolvesintothe
GermanDemocraticRepublic(GDR).Wilhelm Pieck
becomesthefirstpresidentandOtto Grotewohl
becomesprimeminister.Politicalpowerlieswiththe
SED,apartythatresultedfromtheforcedunification
oftheSocialDemocraticPartyand
theCommunistPartyin1946.
6 May 1955
NATO membership
TheFederalRepublicofGermany
becomesamemberofNATO.
Themilitaryanddefencealliance
wasfoundedin1949andtoday
includes28membersinNorth
AmericaandEurope.TheEastern
counterpartwastheWarsawPact,
whichwasestablishedin1955
andincludedtheGDR.
25 March 1957 Treaty of Rome
France,Italy,theBeneluxcountriesandGermanyform
theEuropeanEconomicCommunity(EEC)withthe
goalofexpandingeconomiccooperation.TheEECis
thepredecessoroftheEuropeanUnion,whichincludes
27member-stateswith502millioninhabitants.
1 September 1939
Attack on Poland
TheguarantorstatesFranceand
BritainrespondtotheGerman
invasionofPolandwithadecla-
rationofwar,whichmarksthe
beginningofWorldWarll.On
22 June 1941,Hitlerattacksthe
SovietUnion.TheGermandefeat
inStalingradin1943marks
adecisiveturning-point
inthewar.
19 July 1937
“Degenerate art”
AnartexhibitioninMunich
displays650artworksthat
areclassifiedas“degenerate
art”byNazipropagandists.
Theyincludemanyexpres-
sionist,impressionistand
surrealistpaintingsthatdo
notconformtotheaesthetic
tasteoftheNazis.
17 July 1945 Potsdam Conference
The“BigThree”,theUSA,RussiaandBritain,agreeto
transfer25%ofGermansovereignterritorytoPolandand
theSovietUnionandtodividetheremainderinto4zones
ofoccupation,whicharetobedemilitarized,denazified,
democratizedanddecentralized.Inadditionsomefactories
aretobedismantled.
October 1946
Flight and displacement
TheAlliedControlCouncil
estimatesthatthe
numberofdisplaced
personshasreached
9.6million.
7 December 1941 Pearl Harbor
TheJapaneseattackontheUSbasePearlHarborin
HawaiiprecipitatestheentryoftheUnitedStatesinto
WorldWarII.Morethan2,600Americansdieduringthe
attack.GermanydeclareswarontheUnitedStateson
11 December 1941.ThesituationfortheAlliesimproves
significantlyaftertheAmericanentryintothewar.
18 February 1943 White Rose
SophieandHans Scholl,bothmembersof
theMunich-basedresistancegroup“White
Rose”,arearrestedwhilehandingoutleaflets
andarelaterexecuted.(On8 November 1939,
Georg ElsertriedtoassassinateHitler.On
20 July 1944,Claus Schenk Graf
von Stauffenbergorchestrates
anotherassassinationattempt.
6 June 1944 D-Day
AlliedforceslandinNormandyandopenasecondfrontagainstNaziGermany.
Around150,000soldiersbreakthroughtheGermandefencesalongtheFrenchAtlantic
coast.Bymid-June,theAllieshavemorethanonemillionsoldiersonFrenchsoil.
2 June 1967
Death of a student and APO
ThestudentBenno Ohnesorgisshotdead
byapolicemanduringademonstration
againstthePersianShah’svisittoBerlin.
Protestseruptthroughoutthecountry.
Sincethemid-1960s,studentshadformed
theExtra-ParliamentaryOpposition(APO)
tocallforfar-reachingsocietalchanges.
3 May 1971
Erich Honecker
Erich HoneckerbecomesFirst
Secretary(andlaterSecretary-
General)oftheCentralCom-
mitteeoftheSED.In1976,
healsoassumesthechairman-
shipoftheStateCouncilin
theGDR.Heremainsinoffice
untilOctober 1989andis
succeededbyEgon Krenz.
Honeckerfallsillandisnever
heldresponsibleforthecrimes
andfailuresintheGDR.He
diesinChilein1994.
12 April 1961 First man in space
Yuri GagarinfromtheSovietUnionbecomesthefirstmaninspace.
Hiscapsuleorbitsearthfor106minutes.Thefirstsatellite(Sputnik)
hadbeensuccessfullylaunchedin1957.In1969,American
Neil Armstrongbecomesthefirstmantosetfootonthemoon
duringtheApollo11mission.
1 August 1975
The Helsinki Accords
InHelsinki,the“Conference on
Security and Cooperation in
Europe”(CSCE)producesits
finaldeclaration.Itemphasises
economiccooperationandthe
protectionofhumanrights.
TheHelsinkiAccordslater
becomeareferencepointfor
manydissidentsfromEastern
Europe.In1995,theCSCE
evolvesintothe“Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in
Europe”(OSCE).
25 November 1973
Car-free Sundays
TheWestGermangovernmentrespondsto
the1973oilcrisisbyprohibitingtheuseof
privatecarsonfourSundaysinNovember
andDecember 1973.Aspeedlimitof
100km/hisinstitutedforpublichighways.
Thegoalistocurboilconsumptionafter
shortageshaddrivenoilpricesupinthe
aftermathoftheYom-Kippurwar.
26 August 1978 A German in space
Sigmund JähnfromtheGDRbecomesthefirstGerman
toflyintospaceontheSoviet“Soyuz31”mission.
In1983,Ulf Mehrboldbecomesthefirstnon-American
toflyaboardtheSpaceShuttle,andthefirstWest
GermaninSpace.Mehrboldservesonadditionalspace-
flightsin1992and1994. 21 October 1969
Willy Brandt
Willy BrandtbecomesthefirstSocial
Democraticchancellor(inaSPD/
FDPcoalitiongovernment).In1974,
Helmut Schmidt(SPD)succeeds
him.Brandtchoosesthemotto
“Takeachanceondemocracy”for
hisyearsinoffice.In1971,he
receivestheNobelPeacePrizefor
his"NewEasternPolicy".
23 March 1933 Enabling Act
TheReichstagvotesforafar-reachingexpansionof
governmentpowers(whichonlytheSPDopposes).
Hitlercannowpasslawswithoutconsultingparliament.
Amonthearlier,theso-called“FireDecree”restricted
civilandhumanrights.TheGermanReichceasesto
beademocraticconstitutionalstate.
22 March 1933 Concentration camps
ThefirstSSconcentrationcampissetupatDachau.Eventually,theconcentrationcamp
systemencompasses24maincampsandover1,000subsidiarycamps.Prisoners(including
Jews,communists,homosexuals)areinternedforpoliticalor"racial"reasons.
30 January 1933 Nazis assume power
Adolf HitlerisappointedchancellorbyPresidentHindenburg.
Atdusk,NationalSocialistscelebratebymarchingthroughthe
BrandenburgGateinatorchlightparade.TheNSDAPbecame
thestrongestparliamentarypartyin1932.WhenHindenburg
diesin1934,Hitlerassumesthepresidencyaswell.
1950–1971:WalterUlbricht(Secretary-General/FirstSecretary)**
1871–1918:GermanEmpire WeimarRepublic
Post-warera DividedGermany
1949–1963:KonradAdenauer(CDU/CSU+FDP,DPandGB/BHE)*
DividedGermany
1963–1966:LudwigErhard(CDU/CSU+FDP) 1966–1969:KurtG.Kiesinger(CDU/CSU+SPD) 1969–1974:WillyBrandt(SPD+FDP)
1971–1989:ErichHonecker(FirstSecretary/Secretary-General)**
1989:EgonKrenz(Secretary-General)**
DividedGermany
1982–1998:HelmutKohl(CDU/CSU+FDP)
1974–1982:HelmutSchmidt(SPD+FDP)
NaziRegime
WorldWarII
WorldWarI
TheConstitutionalConvention
adoptsademocraticconstitution.
Itentersintoforceon14 August.
11 February,Friedrich Ebert
iselectedpresidentinWeimar.
ThepoliticalpartiesSPD,DDP
andtheCentrePartyformthe
so-called“WeimarCoalition”.
On1 November,oneloafofbreadcosts192,000,000,000Mark
inthecityofKassel.Theintroductionofthe“DebtSecurityMark”
on15 Novemberbreaksthecycleofinflation.15 Novemberbreaksthecycleofinflation.15 November
WeimarRepublic
1934,Hitlerassumesthepresidencyaswell.Hitlerassumesthepresidencyaswell.Hitler
1871–1918:GermanEmpire
WorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarIWorldWarI
1935193419331932193119301929192819271926192519241923192219211920191919181917191619151914
19901989198819871986198519841983198219811980
1957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936
1979197819771976197519741973197219711970196919681967196619651964196319621961196019591958
10 January 1927 1 December 1925
Premiereofthesilentmovie“Metropolis”by
.Thisscience
fictionmovieisnowregardedasoneofthe
mostimportantexpressionistworksinfilm
history.Criticsandaudiencesatthetime
didnotlikeitandpreferredtheincreasingly
popularmovieswithsound.Thefirstcinema
12 December 1979
NATO double-track decision
NATOdecidesonadouble-trackstrategy:
WarsawPactnationsareoffereddisarmament
negotiationswhileNATOpursuesrearmament
andmodernisationinWesternEurope.
Thousandsofprotestersmarchagainst
NATO’sstrategy.
26 August 1972
Olympic Games
TheXX.OlympicGamesbegin
inMunich.Theylastuntil
11 September.122teams
withmorethan7,000athletes
setanewparticipationrecord.
Thecelebratorymoodis
dampenedwhenPalestinian
terroristsattacktheIsraeliteam
andtakehostages.Seventeen
peopleultimatelydie.
25 August 1967 Colour TV
TheannualbroadcastingexhibitioninBerlin
marksthebeginningoftheeraofcolourTV
inWestGermany.TheGDRintroduces
colourTVin1969.Oneofthefirstmajor
eventsbroadcastincolourarethe1972
OlympicGames.Oneofthefirstgerman
moviesfilmedincolouris“Münchhausen”
withHans Albers,producedin1943.
22 October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
TheUnitedStatesunequivocallydemandthedismantlingofSovietmedium-range
missile,whichweresetupsecretly,andimposeanavalblockade.Theworld
standsonthebrinkofanatomicwarbetweenthetwosuperpowers.TheRussians
backdownon28 October.
1 February 1917 Submarine warfare
Asfrom1915,theGermanReichrepeatedlyresponds
totheBritishblockadeoftheAtlanticwithsubmarine
attacksonenemyships.TheUSAprotestwhena
GermansubmarinesinksaBritishpassengership
killing139Americanpassengers.Followingatemporary
lull,theGermanReichresumesunrestrictedsubmarine
warfarein1917,whichleadstotheentryoftheUnited
Statesintothewar.
17 June 1953 Popular uprising in the GDR
On17 June,protestsagainsttheSEDgovernmenteruptin
440differentlocalitiesthroughouttheGDR.Theimmediate
causesarerisingproductivitytargetsandalackofconsumer
goods.Protesterslaterdemandfreeelections,German
reunificationandthedismissalofWalter Ulbricht.Theuprising
issuppressedwithhelpfromSoviettroops.
1871–1918:GermanEmpire
MutinoustroopsoccupystrategiclocationsinSt.Petersburg
19181917
— Legende
Abbreviations:APO=Extra-ParliamentaryOppositionBHE=AssociationofDisplacedandDisenfranchisedGermansCDU=ChristianDemocraticUnionCSU=Christian-SocialUnionDDP=GermanDemocraticPartyDP=GermanPartyEEC=EuropeanEconomicCommunityFDP=Free-DemocraticPartyGDR=GermanDemocraticRepublicKPD=GermanCommunistPartyNATO=NorthAtlanticTreatyOrganisationNSDAP=NationalSocialistGermanWorkers'PartyRAF=RedArmyFactionSBZ=SovietOccupationZoneSED=GermanSocialistUnityPartySPD=GermanSocialDemocraticPartySS=Schutzstaffel(paramilitaryunitsoftheNSDAP)US/USA=UnitedStatesofAmerica
Comments:Theseniorpartywithinacoalitiongovernmentisunderlinedinthetext.
* CDU/CSUheldpowerfrom1949until1963underChancellorAdenauer,eitherasauniongovernment(1960/1961)orwithjuniorpartners(FDP,DP,GB/BHE)inacoalitiongovernment.
** AlthoughtheGermanDemocraticRepublicwasfoundedinOctober1949,thepostofGeneralSecretaryoftheSEDCentralCommitteewasonlycreatedatthe3rdSEDPartyConferenceinJuly1950.From1953to1976thepositionwasrenamed“FirstSecretaryoftheSEDCentralCommittee”.
FurtherinformationaboutpowerpoliticsintheGDRisavailableat:www.hdg.de/lemo/html/DasGeteilteDeutschland/index.html,includingmaterial(relatingtoevents)post-October1989.
— Impressum
—Herausgeberin:BundeszentralefürpolitischeBildung/bpb,Adenauerallee86,53113Bonn,www.bpb.de
—Autor:RobbyGeyer,Heidelberg—Redaktion:IrisMöckel(verantwortlich),NinaSchillings(beidebpb);Mitarbeit:Dr.EckartThurich—EnglischeÜbersetzung:MartinEiermann,London;Lektorat:DavidThorne,Bornheim
—Gestaltung:Leitwerk.BürofürKommunikation,Köln,www.leitwerk.com—Illustrationen:KatharinaPlass,unterVerwendungvonIllustrationenvonIlkaHelmig,IvanaJovic,NadineMagner,CorneliaPistorius,FriederikeSchlenz,AnikaTakagi,CarolinZorn(alleLeitwerk)
—Druck:OffizinScheufeleDruckundMedienGmbH+Co.KG,Stuttgart
—Urheberrechte:TextundIllustrationensindurheber-rechtlichgeschützt.DerTextkanninSchulenzuUnterrichts-zweckenvergütungsfreivervielfältigtwerden.
—Redaktionsschluss:Mai2012,Bestell-Nr.5.431,ISBN978-3-8389-7065-3
—HinweisederRedaktion:1.DieZeitleistezumHerunterladenfindenSiehier:www.bpb.de/falter(>Zeitgeschichte)
2.Kritik,Lob,Anregungenbittean:[email protected]
Falter Zeitgeschichte
German history: 1914 to 1990
11 March 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail GorbachevbecomesGeneralSecretaryof
theCommunistPartyintheSovietUnionand
launchestheGlasnost(transparency)andPerestroika
(remodelling)reforms.Heremainspresidentuntil
1991butcannotpreventtheimplosionofthe
EasternBloc.Gorbachevconductsdisarmament
negotiationswithUSPresident
Ronald Reagan.
3 August 1984 First email
TheUniversityofKarlsruhereceivesthefirstemailinGermany.ItwassentfromtheUnitedStatesaspartof
aprojectaimedatimprovingscientificcommunicationandexchange.Today,itishardtoimagineaworld
withoutemailandothernewcommunicationtechnologiesasmorethan50millionGermansusetheinternet.
3 October 1990
German Unification
Theaccessionoffivenewstatesto
theGermanconstitutionfinalises
theprocessofformalreunification
ofGermany.Thefirstnational
electioninunifiedGermanyisheld
on2 December.Thealliedpowers
consenttounificationinthe“Two
PlusFourAgreement”.Thepost-
wareraisofficiallyover.
9 November 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall
TheGDRregimeopensthebordertoWestBerlin“withoutfurtherdelay”.Inthe
followingdays,theremainingbordertoWestGermanyissuccessivelyopened.
AsfromMay 1989,manyEastGermancitizenshadfledtoGermanyviaHungary
andAustria.IntheWestGermanembassyinPrague,thousandsofpeoplefrom
theGDRseekrefugebeforebeingallowedtotraveltotheWest.
1 October 1982
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl(CDU)iselectedchancellor
inaCDU/CSU/FDPcoalitiongovernment.
HispredecessorHelmut Schmidt(SPD)
hadbeenremovedfromofficethrough
aconstructivevoteofnoconfidence.
Kohlisthelongest-servingchancellorin
Germanhistory;heremainsinofficeuntil
1998.Hisachievementsduringthetime
ofreunificationhaveearnedKohl
thenickname“ChancellorofUnification”.
5 September 1977 “German Autumn” and the RAF
The“RedArmyFaction”(RAF)abductsHanns Martin Schleyer,presidentoftheGerman
Employers’Federation.On13 October,theRAFhighjackstheLufthansaairliner
“Landshut”inordertobargainthereleaseofimprisonedRAFmembers.Eliteforces
oftheGSG-9policeunitstormtheplane.SeveralRAFmemberscommit
suicide,andSchleyeriskilled.
15 August 1969 Woodstock
History’smostfamousmusicfestivallastsuntiltheearlyhours
of18 August.32bandsandartistsperformblues,folk,soul,
androckmusicinfrontofseveralhundredthousandfans.
Woodstockisregardedasahighlightofthehippiemovement
andasaniconicrepresentationofyouthcultureinthe1960s.
4 December 1971 First McDonald’s
Germany’sfirstMcDonald’sfranchiseopensinMunich.Today,morethan1,400McDonald’s
existinGermany,andotherfastfoodchainshaveopenedrestaurantsaswell.Fastfoodis
criticisedforbeingunhealthy,andharmfultotheenvironment.
21 December 1972
Basic Treaty
TheFederalRepublicandtheGDRsign
the“BasicTreaty”,whichemphasises
mutualrecognition,therenunciation
ofarmedattacks,andtheexchangeof
diplomaticrepresentatives.Further
treatieswithstatesfromtheEastern
Blocfollowandimproverelationswith
WestGermany.
13 August 1961
Construction of the Berlin Wall
TheGDRregimeclosestheborderbetweenEastandWest
BerlintopreventemigrationtotheWest.Muchoftheborder
betweenEastandWestGermanyhadalreadybeenclosed
andheavilyfortifiedsince1952.Around3.5millionpeople
stillmanagetoleavetheGDRbetween1945and1961.
Atleast136peoplediewhiletryingtocrosstheBerlinWall
between1961and1989.
9 November 1923
Beer Hall Putsch
Adolf HitlerandErich Ludendorffdeclarea
“nationalrevolution”inMunichandplanto
organiseamarchonBerlin.Localpolice
quicklysubduetheuprising.Hitlerislater
arrestedandsentencedtoprison,butis
releasedafterninemonthsfor“goodconduct”.
14 August 1919
Weimar Constitution
TheConstitutionalConvention
adoptsademocraticconstitution.
Itentersintoforceon14 August.
On11 February,Friedrich Ebert
iselectedpresidentinWeimar.
ThepoliticalpartiesSPD,DDP
andtheCentrePartyformthe
so-called“WeimarCoalition”.
26 April 1925
A new president
Paul von Hindenburgiselectedpresident
inarun-offelectionafterthedeathof
Friedrich Ebert.In1932,heisre-elected
againstAdolf Hitler.Hindenburgisa
monarchistwhocommandedtheGerman
forcesduringWorldWarI.Hebelievesin
the“stab-in-the-backlegend”,which
believesthatlackofpoliticalsupportat
homewasresponsibleforthedefeatof
Germanforces.
10 January 1927 Metropolis
Premiereofthesilentmovie“Metropolis”by
theGermandirectorFritz Lang.Thisscience
fictionmovieisnowregardedasoneofthe
mostimportantexpressionistworksinfilm
history.Criticsandaudiencesatthetime
didnotlikeitandpreferredtheincreasingly
popularmovieswithsound.Thefirstcinema
inBerlinopenedin1896.
28 July 1914 World War I
– triggeredbytheassassinationinSarajevo(28 June)
– 28 July:Austria-HungarydeclareswaronSerbia
– 1 August:TheGermanReichdeclareswaronRussia
– 3 August:TheGermanReichdeclareswaronFrance
– 5 August:GreatBritaindeclareswaronGermanyafter
GermantroopsinvadeBelgium
25 October 1929
Black Friday
StockpricesattheNewYorkStock
Exchangeplummetforseveraldays,
triggeringaglobaleconomiccrisis.
Germanyishitespeciallyhardas
foreignloansarewithdrawn.Morethan
sixmillionpeoplelosetheirjobsby1932.
30 March 1930
Presidential cabinet
Heinrich Brüningiselectedpresidentand
formsapresidentialcabinet.Itdoesnot
haveaparliamentarymajoritybut
usesemergencydecreestoenactpolicies.
Twomorepresidentialcabinetsfollow,
underFranz von Papen(1932)
andKurt von Schleicher(1932/33).
1925 Bauhaus in Dessau
TheBauhausisfoundedin1919byWalter GropiusinWeimarasaneducationalinstitution
forarchitecture,art,anddesign.In1925,itmovestoDessau.
16 July 1927
Money for the unemployed
Unemploymentinsurancebecomesthe
fourthpillaroftheGermanwelfarestate.
Chancellorvon Bismarckintroduced
healthinsurance(1883),accidentinsurance
(1884)andpensions(1889).
1 December 1925
Treaty of Locarno
TheTreatyofLocarnomarksthefirststeps
towardsthenormalisationofrelationsbetween
GermanyandtheAllies.Allpartiesagreeto
respectnationalborders.In1926,Germanyis
admittedtotheLeagueofNations(whichwas
foundedin1920),aninternationalorganisation
thataimstomaintainworldpeace.
7 November 1917
October Revolution in Russia
MutinoustroopsoccupystrategiclocationsinSt.Petersburg
on25 October(accordingtotheRussiancalendar).
ThegovernmentisoverthrownandreplacedbyaCouncilof
People’sCommissarsunderLenin’sleadership.Abloody
civilwarragesuntiltheBolsheviksgainvictorywiththehelp
oftheirmilitia,theRedArmy.
9 November 1918 Declaration of the Republic in Germany
Onhisowninitiativethechancellor,Max von BadenannouncestheabdicationofKaiser
Wilhelm II.Philipp Scheidemann(SPD)declaresthe“DemocraticRepublic”at2p.m.froma
windowoftheReichstag.Shortlyafterwards,Karl Liebknecht(laterKPD)announcesthe
“SocialistRepublic”fromtheBerlinCityPalace.Wilhelm IIofficiallyabdicateson28 November.
10 January 1920 Treaty of Versailles
WorldWarIisofficiallyover,andtheTreatyofVersaillesentersintoforce.
TheGermanReichanditsalliesaremadesolelyresponsibleforthe
outbreakofthewar;Germanyisforcedtoconcedeterritoryandmake
reparationpayments.Topromoteworldpeace,thetreatystipulatesthe
foundingofaninternationalLeagueofNations.
1923 Hyperinflation
ThevalueoftheMarkfallsasthegovernmentcontinuestoprint
money.Pricesexplodeandsuppliesbecomescarce.
On1 November,oneloafofbreadcosts192,000,000,000Mark
inthecityofKassel.Theintroductionofthe“DebtSecurityMark”
on15 Novemberbreaksthecycleofinflation.
1 August 1936
Olympic Games
From1 Augustuntil16 August,Berlin
playshosttotheSummerOlympic
Games.TheNaziregimeusesthe
eventtopresentitselftotheworld
asanopenandpeacefulcountry.
TheAfrican-Americansprinter
Jesse Owensbecomesthemost
successfulathleteinBerlin.Laterthat
year,thefirstgermanWinterOlympics
areheldinGarmisch-Partenkirchen.
20 January 1942
Wannsee Conference
SScommanderHeydrichmeets
seniorgovernmentandparty
officialsinavillaontheWannsee
inBerlintopresentaplan,already
inimplementation,fortheexter-
minationofallEuropeanJews
inGerman-heldterritory.By1945
aroundsixmillionpeoplehad
perishedintheHolocaust.
19 April 1943 Ghetto uprising
Asfrommid-1940,500,000Jewsfrom
GermanyandPolandwereforcedintoa4km2
sectionofWarsaw.Theghettoservesasa
collectionpointforJewsduetobedeported
intothedeathcamps.InApril 1943,ghetto
inmatesstageanuprising(despitebeing
insufficientlyarmed).IttakestheSSuntil16 May
tosubduetherevolt.
9 November 1938
“Night of Broken Glass”
TheNazisinciteattackson
Jewishsynagogues,houses
andshopsthroughoutGermany.
Jewishshopswereboycotted
asfrom1933,andJewishcivil
servantswerefiredfromtheir
jobs.In1935,theNazispassed
the“Nurembergracelaws”.
1940 Fanta is invented
TheingredientsfortheCocaColarecipearescarce
duringwartime.AGermanchemistdevelopsFanta,
anorange-flavouredwheydrink.Sincethe1950s,
Fantahasbeenproducedinothercountriesaswell,
albeitwithadifferentrecipe.
1948 First
Mustang jeans
TheL.Hermann
clothingfactoryin
Künzelsau,Germany,
(laterrenamed
“MustangJeans”)producesthe
firstpairofEuropeanjeans.
Theywereallegedlyinvented
bytheGermanemigree
Löb Strauß(laterLevi Strauss),
whomanufacturedthefirst
Americanpairofjeansin1873.
Inthe1950s,jeansturn
fromaworking-classiteminto
ayouthsymbolforfreedom
andrebellion.
10 December 1948
Human rights
ThemembersoftheUnited
Nations(UN)announcethe
UniversalDeclarationofHuman
Rights.TheUNhadbeen
foundedin1945andtoday
includes193membersstates.
EastandWestGermanywere
acceptedintotheUNin1973.
Themaintasksofthe
UNaretheprotection
ofglobalpeaceand
humanrights.
8 May 1945 German surrender
TheGermanWehrmachtunconditionally
surrenderstothealliedforces.WorldWarII
inEuropeisover.Japansurrenderson
2 September,aftertheexplosionsoftwo
atomicbombsinHiroshima(6 August)and
Nagasaki(9 August).WorldWarIIresulted
inanestimateddeathtollof50to70million
worldwide.
4 July 1954 The Miracle of Bern
TheWestGermanfootballteamwinstheworld
championshipsafterbeatingthefavourites,
Hungary,3:2inthefinalinSwitzerland.Further
WorldCupvictoriesin1974(inGermany,and
afterlosing0:1totheGDRintheopeninground)
and1990(inItaly).
23 May 1949 German Constitution
The“Grundgesetz”,theGermanconstitution,comesintoforce.
ItwasdraftedbytheParliamentaryCouncil(65electoralmembers,
includingfourwomen)withthebackingofthethreeWestern
allies.Theodor HeussisswornintoofficeasGermanpresidenton
12 September.Threedayslater,Konrad Adenauerbecomesthe
firstGermanchancellor.
20 June 1948
Currency reform
TheDeutschmarkisintro-
ducedinWestGermany.
ItisreplacedbytheEuro
in2002.EveryGerman
receivesfortyMark
“bounty”.Thecurrency
reformintheWestern
zonesresultsintheSoviet
blockadeofBerlin,which
theWesternAlliescounter
withtheBerlinairlift.
7 October 1949
The GDR is founded
TheSovietOccupationZone(SBZ)evolvesintothe
GermanDemocraticRepublic(GDR).Wilhelm Pieck
becomesthefirstpresidentandOtto Grotewohl
becomesprimeminister.Politicalpowerlieswiththe
SED,apartythatresultedfromtheforcedunification
oftheSocialDemocraticPartyand
theCommunistPartyin1946.
6 May 1955
NATO membership
TheFederalRepublicofGermany
becomesamemberofNATO.
Themilitaryanddefencealliance
wasfoundedin1949andtoday
includes28membersinNorth
AmericaandEurope.TheEastern
counterpartwastheWarsawPact,
whichwasestablishedin1955
andincludedtheGDR.
25 March 1957 Treaty of Rome
France,Italy,theBeneluxcountriesandGermanyform
theEuropeanEconomicCommunity(EEC)withthe
goalofexpandingeconomiccooperation.TheEECis
thepredecessoroftheEuropeanUnion,whichincludes
27member-stateswith502millioninhabitants.
1 September 1939
Attack on Poland
TheguarantorstatesFranceand
BritainrespondtotheGerman
invasionofPolandwithadecla-
rationofwar,whichmarksthe
beginningofWorldWarll.On
22 June 1941,Hitlerattacksthe
SovietUnion.TheGermandefeat
inStalingradin1943marks
adecisiveturning-point
inthewar.
19 July 1937
“Degenerate art”
AnartexhibitioninMunich
displays650artworksthat
areclassifiedas“degenerate
art”byNazipropagandists.
Theyincludemanyexpres-
sionist,impressionistand
surrealistpaintingsthatdo
notconformtotheaesthetic
tasteoftheNazis.
17 July 1945 Potsdam Conference
The“BigThree”,theUSA,RussiaandBritain,agreeto
transfer25%ofGermansovereignterritorytoPolandand
theSovietUnionandtodividetheremainderinto4zones
ofoccupation,whicharetobedemilitarized,denazified,
democratizedanddecentralized.Inadditionsomefactories
aretobedismantled.
October 1946
Flight and displacement
TheAlliedControlCouncil
estimatesthatthe
numberofdisplaced
personshasreached
9.6million.
7 December 1941 Pearl Harbor
TheJapaneseattackontheUSbasePearlHarborin
HawaiiprecipitatestheentryoftheUnitedStatesinto
WorldWarII.Morethan2,600Americansdieduringthe
attack.GermanydeclareswarontheUnitedStateson
11 December 1941.ThesituationfortheAlliesimproves
significantlyaftertheAmericanentryintothewar.
18 February 1943 White Rose
SophieandHans Scholl,bothmembersof
theMunich-basedresistancegroup“White
Rose”,arearrestedwhilehandingoutleaflets
andarelaterexecuted.(On8 November 1939,
Georg ElsertriedtoassassinateHitler.On
20 July 1944,Claus Schenk Graf
von Stauffenbergorchestrates
anotherassassinationattempt.
6 June 1944 D-Day
AlliedforceslandinNormandyandopenasecondfrontagainstNaziGermany.
Around150,000soldiersbreakthroughtheGermandefencesalongtheFrenchAtlantic
coast.Bymid-June,theAllieshavemorethanonemillionsoldiersonFrenchsoil.
2 June 1967
Death of a student and APO
ThestudentBenno Ohnesorgisshotdead
byapolicemanduringademonstration
againstthePersianShah’svisittoBerlin.
Protestseruptthroughoutthecountry.
Sincethemid-1960s,studentshadformed
theExtra-ParliamentaryOpposition(APO)
tocallforfar-reachingsocietalchanges.
3 May 1971
Erich Honecker
Erich HoneckerbecomesFirst
Secretary(andlaterSecretary-
General)oftheCentralCom-
mitteeoftheSED.In1976,
healsoassumesthechairman-
shipoftheStateCouncilin
theGDR.Heremainsinoffice
untilOctober 1989andis
succeededbyEgon Krenz.
Honeckerfallsillandisnever
heldresponsibleforthecrimes
andfailuresintheGDR.He
diesinChilein1994.
12 April 1961 First man in space
Yuri GagarinfromtheSovietUnionbecomesthefirstmaninspace.
Hiscapsuleorbitsearthfor106minutes.Thefirstsatellite(Sputnik)
hadbeensuccessfullylaunchedin1957.In1969,American
Neil Armstrongbecomesthefirstmantosetfootonthemoon
duringtheApollo11mission.
1 August 1975
The Helsinki Accords
InHelsinki,the“Conference on
Security and Cooperation in
Europe”(CSCE)producesits
finaldeclaration.Itemphasises
economiccooperationandthe
protectionofhumanrights.
TheHelsinkiAccordslater
becomeareferencepointfor
manydissidentsfromEastern
Europe.In1995,theCSCE
evolvesintothe“Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in
Europe”(OSCE).
25 November 1973
Car-free Sundays
TheWestGermangovernmentrespondsto
the1973oilcrisisbyprohibitingtheuseof
privatecarsonfourSundaysinNovember
andDecember 1973.Aspeedlimitof
100km/hisinstitutedforpublichighways.
Thegoalistocurboilconsumptionafter
shortageshaddrivenoilpricesupinthe
aftermathoftheYom-Kippurwar.
26 August 1978 A German in space
Sigmund JähnfromtheGDRbecomesthefirstGerman
toflyintospaceontheSoviet“Soyuz31”mission.
In1983,Ulf Mehrboldbecomesthefirstnon-American
toflyaboardtheSpaceShuttle,andthefirstWest
GermaninSpace.Mehrboldservesonadditionalspace-
flightsin1992and1994. 21 October 1969
Willy Brandt
Willy BrandtbecomesthefirstSocial
Democraticchancellor(inaSPD/
FDPcoalitiongovernment).In1974,
Helmut Schmidt(SPD)succeeds
him.Brandtchoosesthemotto
“Takeachanceondemocracy”for
hisyearsinoffice.In1971,he
receivestheNobelPeacePrizefor
his"NewEasternPolicy".
23 March 1933 Enabling Act
TheReichstagvotesforafar-reachingexpansionof
governmentpowers(whichonlytheSPDopposes).
Hitlercannowpasslawswithoutconsultingparliament.
Amonthearlier,theso-called“FireDecree”restricted
civilandhumanrights.TheGermanReichceasesto
beademocraticconstitutionalstate.
22 March 1933 Concentration camps
ThefirstSSconcentrationcampissetupatDachau.Eventually,theconcentrationcamp
systemencompasses24maincampsandover1,000subsidiarycamps.Prisoners(including
Jews,communists,homosexuals)areinternedforpoliticalor"racial"reasons.
30 January 1933 Nazis assume power
Adolf HitlerisappointedchancellorbyPresidentHindenburg.
Atdusk,NationalSocialistscelebratebymarchingthroughthe
BrandenburgGateinatorchlightparade.TheNSDAPbecame
thestrongestparliamentarypartyin1932.WhenHindenburg
diesin1934,Hitlerassumesthepresidencyaswell.
1950–1971:WalterUlbricht(Secretary-General/FirstSecretary)**
1871–1918:GermanEmpire WeimarRepublic
Post-warera DividedGermany
1949–1963:KonradAdenauer(CDU/CSU+FDP,DPandGB/BHE)*
DividedGermany
1963–1966:LudwigErhard(CDU/CSU+FDP) 1966–1969:KurtG.Kiesinger(CDU/CSU+SPD) 1969–1974:WillyBrandt(SPD+FDP)
1971–1989:ErichHonecker(FirstSecretary/Secretary-General)**
1989:EgonKrenz(Secretary-General)**
DividedGermany
1982–1998:HelmutKohl(CDU/CSU+FDP)
1974–1982:HelmutSchmidt(SPD+FDP)
NaziRegime
WorldWarII
WorldWarI
1948
Mustang jeans
TheL.Hermann
clothingfactoryin
Künzelsau,Germany,
(laterrenamed
“MustangJeans”)producesthe
firstpairofEuropeanjeans.
Theywereallegedlyinvented
bytheGermanemigree
1948
Mustang jeans
TheL.Hermann
clothingfactoryin
Künzelsau,Germany,
(laterrenamed
“MustangJeans”)producesthe
firstpairofEuropeanjeans.
Theywereallegedlyinvented
bytheGermanemigree
October 1946
Flight and displacement
TheAlliedControlCouncil
estimatesthatthe
numberofdisplaced
personshasreached
SED,apartythatresultedfromtheforcedunification
oftheSocialDemocraticPartyand
1946.
10 December 1948
Human rights
ThemembersoftheUnited
Nations(UN)announcethe
UniversalDeclarationofHuman
Rights.TheUNhadbeen
foundedin1945andtoday
includes193membersstates.
EastandWestGermanywere
acceptedintotheUNin1973.
Themaintasksofthe
UNaretheprotection
ofglobalpeaceand
humanrights.
First
Mustang jeans
TheL.Hermann
clothingfactoryin
Künzelsau,Germany,
Georg ElsertriedtoassassinateGeorg ElsertriedtoassassinateGeorg Elser Hitler.On
20 July 1944,Claus Schenk Graf
von Stauffenbergorchestrates
anotherassassinationattempt.
6 June 1944
AlliedforceslandinNormandyandopenasecondfrontagainstNaziGermany.
Around150,000soldiersbreakthroughtheGermandefencesalongtheFrenchAtlantic
coast.Bymid-June,theAllieshavemorethanonemillionsoldiersonFrenchsoil.
TheingredientsfortheCocaColarecipearescarce
duringwartime.AGermanchemistdevelopsFanta,
anorange-flavouredwheydrink.Sincethe1950s,
Fantahasbeenproducedinothercountriesaswell,
WorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarIIWorldWarII
18 February 1943 White Rose
SophieandHans Scholl,bothmembersof
theMunich-basedresistancegroup“White
Rose”,arearrestedwhilehandingoutleaflets
andarelaterexecuted.(On8 November 1939,
the“Nurembergracelaws”. SovietUnion.TheGermandefeat
inStalingradin1943marks
adecisiveturning-point
inthewar.
NaziRegime
Olympic Games
From1 Augustuntil16 August,Berlin
playshosttotheSummerOlympic
Games.TheNaziregimeusesthe
eventtopresentitselftotheworld
asanopenandpeacefulcountry.
TheAfrican-Americansprinter
Jesse Owensbecomesthemost
successfulathleteinBerlin.Laterthat
year,thefirstgermanWinterOlympics
areheldinGarmisch-Partenkirchen.
1940 Fanta is invented
TheingredientsfortheCocaColarecipearescarce
duringwartime.AGermanchemistdevelopsFanta,
anorange-flavouredwheydrink.Sincethe
19 July 1937
“Degenerate art”
AnartexhibitioninMunich
displays650artworksthat
areclassifiedas“degenerate
art”byNazipropagandists.
Theyincludemanyexpres-
NaziRegime
1935193419331932193119301929192819271926192519241923192219211920191919181917191619151914
19901989198819871986198519841983198219811980
1957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936
1979197819771976197519741973197219711970196919681967196619651964196319621961196019591958
12 December 1979
NATO double-track decision
NATOdecidesonadouble-trackstrategy:
WarsawPactnationsareoffereddisarmament
negotiationswhileNATOpursuesrearmament
andmodernisationinWesternEurope.
Thousandsofprotestersmarchagainst
NATO’sstrategy.
26 August 1972
Olympic Games
TheXX.OlympicGamesbegin
inMunich.Theylastuntil
11 September.122teams
withmorethan7,000athletes
setanewparticipationrecord.
Thecelebratorymoodis
dampenedwhenPalestinian
terroristsattacktheIsraeliteam
andtakehostages.Seventeen
peopleultimatelydie.
25 August 1967 Colour TV
TheannualbroadcastingexhibitioninBerlin
marksthebeginningoftheeraofcolourTV
inWestGermany.TheGDRintroduces
colourTVin1969.Oneofthefirstmajor
eventsbroadcastincolourarethe1972
OlympicGames.Oneofthefirstgerman
moviesfilmedincolouris“Münchhausen”
withHans Albers,producedin1943.
22 October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
TheUnitedStatesunequivocallydemandthedismantlingofSovietmedium-range
missile,whichweresetupsecretly,andimposeanavalblockade.Theworld
standsonthebrinkofanatomicwarbetweenthetwosuperpowers.TheRussians
backdownon28 October.
1 February 1917 Submarine warfare
Asfrom1915,theGermanReichrepeatedlyresponds
totheBritishblockadeoftheAtlanticwithsubmarine
attacksonenemyships.TheUSAprotestwhena
GermansubmarinesinksaBritishpassengership
killing139Americanpassengers.Followingatemporary
lull,theGermanReichresumesunrestrictedsubmarine
warfarein1917,whichleadstotheentryoftheUnited
Statesintothewar.
17 June 1953 Popular uprising in the GDR
On17 June,protestsagainsttheSEDgovernmenteruptin
440differentlocalitiesthroughouttheGDR.Theimmediate
causesarerisingproductivitytargetsandalackofconsumer
goods.Protesterslaterdemandfreeelections,German
reunificationandthedismissalofWalter Ulbricht.Theuprising
issuppressedwithhelpfromSoviettroops.
— Legende
Abbreviations:APO=Extra-ParliamentaryOppositionBHE=AssociationofDisplacedandDisenfranchisedGermansCDU=ChristianDemocraticUnionCSU=Christian-SocialUnionDDP=GermanDemocraticPartyDP=GermanPartyEEC=EuropeanEconomicCommunityFDP=Free-DemocraticPartyGDR=GermanDemocraticRepublicKPD=GermanCommunistPartyNATO=NorthAtlanticTreatyOrganisationNSDAP=NationalSocialistGermanWorkers'PartyRAF=RedArmyFactionSBZ=SovietOccupationZoneSED=GermanSocialistUnityPartySPD=GermanSocialDemocraticPartySS=Schutzstaffel(paramilitaryunitsoftheNSDAP)US/USA=UnitedStatesofAmerica
Comments:Theseniorpartywithinacoalitiongovernmentisunderlinedinthetext.
* CDU/CSUheldpowerfrom1949until1963underChancellorAdenauer,eitherasauniongovernment(1960/1961)orwithjuniorpartners(FDP,DP,GB/BHE)inacoalitiongovernment.
** AlthoughtheGermanDemocraticRepublicwasfoundedinOctober1949,thepostofGeneralSecretaryoftheSEDCentralCommitteewasonlycreatedatthe3rdSEDPartyConferenceinJuly1950.From1953to1976thepositionwasrenamed“FirstSecretaryoftheSEDCentralCommittee”.
FurtherinformationaboutpowerpoliticsintheGDRisavailableat:www.hdg.de/lemo/html/DasGeteilteDeutschland/index.html,includingmaterial(relatingtoevents)post-October1989.
— Impressum
—Herausgeberin:BundeszentralefürpolitischeBildung/bpb,Adenauerallee86,53113Bonn,www.bpb.de
—Autor:RobbyGeyer,Heidelberg—Redaktion:IrisMöckel(verantwortlich),NinaSchillings(beidebpb);Mitarbeit:Dr.EckartThurich—EnglischeÜbersetzung:MartinEiermann,London;Lektorat:DavidThorne,Bornheim
—Gestaltung:Leitwerk.BürofürKommunikation,Köln,www.leitwerk.com—Illustrationen:KatharinaPlass,unterVerwendungvonIllustrationenvonIlkaHelmig,IvanaJovic,NadineMagner,CorneliaPistorius,FriederikeSchlenz,AnikaTakagi,CarolinZorn(alleLeitwerk)
—Druck:OffizinScheufeleDruckundMedienGmbH+Co.KG,Stuttgart
—Urheberrechte:TextundIllustrationensindurheber-rechtlichgeschützt.DerTextkanninSchulenzuUnterrichts-zweckenvergütungsfreivervielfältigtwerden.
—Redaktionsschluss:Mai2012,Bestell-Nr.5.431,ISBN978-3-8389-7065-3
—HinweisederRedaktion:1.DieZeitleistezumHerunterladenfindenSiehier:www.bpb.de/falter(>Zeitgeschichte)
2.Kritik,Lob,Anregungenbittean:[email protected]
Falter Zeitgeschichte
German history: 1914 to 1990
11 March 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail GorbachevbecomesGeneralSecretaryof
theCommunistPartyintheSovietUnionand
launchestheGlasnost(transparency)andPerestroika
(remodelling)reforms.Heremainspresidentuntil
1991butcannotpreventtheimplosionofthe
EasternBloc.Gorbachevconductsdisarmament
negotiationswithUSPresident
Ronald Reagan.
3 August 1984 First email
TheUniversityofKarlsruhereceivesthefirstemailinGermany.ItwassentfromtheUnitedStatesaspartof
aprojectaimedatimprovingscientificcommunicationandexchange.Today,itishardtoimagineaworld
withoutemailandothernewcommunicationtechnologiesasmorethan50millionGermansusetheinternet.
3 October 1990
German Unification
Theaccessionoffivenewstatesto
theGermanconstitutionfinalises
theprocessofformalreunification
ofGermany.Thefirstnational
electioninunifiedGermanyisheld
on2 December.Thealliedpowers
consenttounificationinthe“Two
PlusFourAgreement”.Thepost-
wareraisofficiallyover.
9 November 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall
TheGDRregimeopensthebordertoWestBerlin“withoutfurtherdelay”.Inthe
followingdays,theremainingbordertoWestGermanyissuccessivelyopened.
AsfromMay 1989,manyEastGermancitizenshadfledtoGermanyviaHungary
andAustria.IntheWestGermanembassyinPrague,thousandsofpeoplefrom
theGDRseekrefugebeforebeingallowedtotraveltotheWest.
1 October 1982
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl(CDU)iselectedchancellor
inaCDU/CSU/FDPcoalitiongovernment.
HispredecessorHelmut Schmidt(SPD)
hadbeenremovedfromofficethrough
aconstructivevoteofnoconfidence.
Kohlisthelongest-servingchancellorin
Germanhistory;heremainsinofficeuntil
1998.Hisachievementsduringthetime
ofreunificationhaveearnedKohl
thenickname“ChancellorofUnification”.
5 September 1977 “German Autumn” and the RAF
The“RedArmyFaction”(RAF)abductsHanns Martin Schleyer,presidentoftheGerman
Employers’Federation.On13 October,theRAFhighjackstheLufthansaairliner
“Landshut”inordertobargainthereleaseofimprisonedRAFmembers.Eliteforces
oftheGSG-9policeunitstormtheplane.SeveralRAFmemberscommit
suicide,andSchleyeriskilled.
15 August 1969 Woodstock
History’smostfamousmusicfestivallastsuntiltheearlyhours
of18 August.32bandsandartistsperformblues,folk,soul,
androckmusicinfrontofseveralhundredthousandfans.
Woodstockisregardedasahighlightofthehippiemovement
andasaniconicrepresentationofyouthcultureinthe1960s.
4 December 1971 First McDonald’s
Germany’sfirstMcDonald’sfranchiseopensinMunich.Today,morethan1,400McDonald’s
existinGermany,andotherfastfoodchainshaveopenedrestaurantsaswell.Fastfoodis
criticisedforbeingunhealthy,andharmfultotheenvironment.
21 December 1972
Basic Treaty
TheFederalRepublicandtheGDRsign
the“BasicTreaty”,whichemphasises
mutualrecognition,therenunciation
ofarmedattacks,andtheexchangeof
diplomaticrepresentatives.Further
treatieswithstatesfromtheEastern
Blocfollowandimproverelationswith
WestGermany.
13 August 1961
Construction of the Berlin Wall
TheGDRregimeclosestheborderbetweenEastandWest
BerlintopreventemigrationtotheWest.Muchoftheborder
betweenEastandWestGermanyhadalreadybeenclosed
andheavilyfortifiedsince1952.Around3.5millionpeople
stillmanagetoleavetheGDRbetween1945and1961.
Atleast136peoplediewhiletryingtocrosstheBerlinWall
between1961and1989.
9 November 1923
Beer Hall Putsch
Adolf HitlerandErich Ludendorffdeclarea
“nationalrevolution”inMunichandplanto
organiseamarchonBerlin.Localpolice
quicklysubduetheuprising.Hitlerislater
arrestedandsentencedtoprison,butis
releasedafterninemonthsfor“goodconduct”.
14 August 1919
Weimar Constitution
TheConstitutionalConvention
adoptsademocraticconstitution.
Itentersintoforceon14 August.
On11 February,Friedrich Ebert
iselectedpresidentinWeimar.
ThepoliticalpartiesSPD,DDP
andtheCentrePartyformthe
so-called“WeimarCoalition”.
26 April 1925
A new president
Paul von Hindenburgiselectedpresident
inarun-offelectionafterthedeathof
Friedrich Ebert.In1932,heisre-elected
againstAdolf Hitler.Hindenburgisa
monarchistwhocommandedtheGerman
forcesduringWorldWarI.Hebelievesin
the“stab-in-the-backlegend”,which
believesthatlackofpoliticalsupportat
homewasresponsibleforthedefeatof
Germanforces.
10 January 1927 Metropolis
Premiereofthesilentmovie“Metropolis”by
theGermandirectorFritz Lang.Thisscience
fictionmovieisnowregardedasoneofthe
mostimportantexpressionistworksinfilm
history.Criticsandaudiencesatthetime
didnotlikeitandpreferredtheincreasingly
popularmovieswithsound.Thefirstcinema
inBerlinopenedin1896.
28 July 1914 World War I
– triggeredbytheassassinationinSarajevo(28 June)
– 28 July:Austria-HungarydeclareswaronSerbia
– 1 August:TheGermanReichdeclareswaronRussia
– 3 August:TheGermanReichdeclareswaronFrance
– 5 August:GreatBritaindeclareswaronGermanyafter
GermantroopsinvadeBelgium
25 October 1929
Black Friday
StockpricesattheNewYorkStock
Exchangeplummetforseveraldays,
triggeringaglobaleconomiccrisis.
Germanyishitespeciallyhardas
foreignloansarewithdrawn.Morethan
sixmillionpeoplelosetheirjobsby1932.
30 March 1930
Presidential cabinet
Heinrich Brüningiselectedpresidentand
formsapresidentialcabinet.Itdoesnot
haveaparliamentarymajoritybut
usesemergencydecreestoenactpolicies.
Twomorepresidentialcabinetsfollow,
underFranz von Papen(1932)
andKurt von Schleicher(1932/33).
1925 Bauhaus in Dessau
TheBauhausisfoundedin1919byWalter GropiusinWeimarasaneducationalinstitution
forarchitecture,art,anddesign.In1925,itmovestoDessau.
16 July 1927
Money for the unemployed
Unemploymentinsurancebecomesthe
fourthpillaroftheGermanwelfarestate.
Chancellorvon Bismarckintroduced
healthinsurance(1883),accidentinsurance
(1884)andpensions(1889).
1 December 1925
Treaty of Locarno
TheTreatyofLocarnomarksthefirststeps
towardsthenormalisationofrelationsbetween
GermanyandtheAllies.Allpartiesagreeto
respectnationalborders.In1926,Germanyis
admittedtotheLeagueofNations(whichwas
foundedin1920),aninternationalorganisation
thataimstomaintainworldpeace.
7 November 1917
October Revolution in Russia
MutinoustroopsoccupystrategiclocationsinSt.Petersburg
on25 October(accordingtotheRussiancalendar).
ThegovernmentisoverthrownandreplacedbyaCouncilof
People’sCommissarsunderLenin’sleadership.Abloody
civilwarragesuntiltheBolsheviksgainvictorywiththehelp
oftheirmilitia,theRedArmy.
9 November 1918 Declaration of the Republic in Germany
Onhisowninitiativethechancellor,Max von BadenannouncestheabdicationofKaiser
Wilhelm II.Philipp Scheidemann(SPD)declaresthe“DemocraticRepublic”at2p.m.froma
windowoftheReichstag.Shortlyafterwards,Karl Liebknecht(laterKPD)announcesthe
“SocialistRepublic”fromtheBerlinCityPalace.Wilhelm IIofficiallyabdicateson28 November.
10 January 1920 Treaty of Versailles
WorldWarIisofficiallyover,andtheTreatyofVersaillesentersintoforce.
TheGermanReichanditsalliesaremadesolelyresponsibleforthe
outbreakofthewar;Germanyisforcedtoconcedeterritoryandmake
reparationpayments.Topromoteworldpeace,thetreatystipulatesthe
foundingofaninternationalLeagueofNations.
1923 Hyperinflation
ThevalueoftheMarkfallsasthegovernmentcontinuestoprint
money.Pricesexplodeandsuppliesbecomescarce.
On1 November,oneloafofbreadcosts192,000,000,000Mark
inthecityofKassel.Theintroductionofthe“DebtSecurityMark”
on15 Novemberbreaksthecycleofinflation.
1 August 1936
Olympic Games
From1 Augustuntil16 August,Berlin
playshosttotheSummerOlympic
Games.TheNaziregimeusesthe
eventtopresentitselftotheworld
asanopenandpeacefulcountry.
TheAfrican-Americansprinter
Jesse Owensbecomesthemost
successfulathleteinBerlin.Laterthat
year,thefirstgermanWinterOlympics
areheldinGarmisch-Partenkirchen.
20 January 1942
Wannsee Conference
SScommanderHeydrichmeets
seniorgovernmentandparty
officialsinavillaontheWannsee
inBerlintopresentaplan,already
inimplementation,fortheexter-
minationofallEuropeanJews
inGerman-heldterritory.By1945
aroundsixmillionpeoplehad
perishedintheHolocaust.
19 April 1943 Ghetto uprising
Asfrommid-1940,500,000Jewsfrom
GermanyandPolandwereforcedintoa4km2
sectionofWarsaw.Theghettoservesasa
collectionpointforJewsduetobedeported
intothedeathcamps.InApril 1943,ghetto
inmatesstageanuprising(despitebeing
insufficientlyarmed).IttakestheSSuntil16 May
tosubduetherevolt.
9 November 1938
“Night of Broken Glass”
TheNazisinciteattackson
Jewishsynagogues,houses
andshopsthroughoutGermany.
Jewishshopswereboycotted
asfrom1933,andJewishcivil
servantswerefiredfromtheir
jobs.In1935,theNazispassed
the“Nurembergracelaws”.
1940 Fanta is invented
TheingredientsfortheCocaColarecipearescarce
duringwartime.AGermanchemistdevelopsFanta,
anorange-flavouredwheydrink.Sincethe1950s,
Fantahasbeenproducedinothercountriesaswell,
albeitwithadifferentrecipe.
1948 First
Mustang jeans
TheL.Hermann
clothingfactoryin
Künzelsau,Germany,
(laterrenamed
“MustangJeans”)producesthe
firstpairofEuropeanjeans.
Theywereallegedlyinvented
bytheGermanemigree
Löb Strauß(laterLevi Strauss),
whomanufacturedthefirst
Americanpairofjeansin1873.
Inthe1950s,jeansturn
fromaworking-classiteminto
ayouthsymbolforfreedom
andrebellion.
10 December 1948
Human rights
ThemembersoftheUnited
Nations(UN)announcethe
UniversalDeclarationofHuman
Rights.TheUNhadbeen
foundedin1945andtoday
includes193membersstates.
EastandWestGermanywere
acceptedintotheUNin1973.
Themaintasksofthe
UNaretheprotection
ofglobalpeaceand
humanrights.
8 May 1945 German surrender
TheGermanWehrmachtunconditionally
surrenderstothealliedforces.WorldWarII
inEuropeisover.Japansurrenderson
2 September,aftertheexplosionsoftwo
atomicbombsinHiroshima(6 August)and
Nagasaki(9 August).WorldWarIIresulted
inanestimateddeathtollof50to70million
worldwide.
4 July 1954 The Miracle of Bern
TheWestGermanfootballteamwinstheworld
championshipsafterbeatingthefavourites,
Hungary,3:2inthefinalinSwitzerland.Further
WorldCupvictoriesin1974(inGermany,and
afterlosing0:1totheGDRintheopeninground)
and1990(inItaly).
23 May 1949 German Constitution
The“Grundgesetz”,theGermanconstitution,comesintoforce.
ItwasdraftedbytheParliamentaryCouncil(65electoralmembers,
includingfourwomen)withthebackingofthethreeWestern
allies.Theodor HeussisswornintoofficeasGermanpresidenton
12 September.Threedayslater,Konrad Adenauerbecomesthe
firstGermanchancellor.
20 June 1948
Currency reform
TheDeutschmarkisintro-
ducedinWestGermany.
ItisreplacedbytheEuro
in2002.EveryGerman
receivesfortyMark
“bounty”.Thecurrency
reformintheWestern
zonesresultsintheSoviet
blockadeofBerlin,which
theWesternAlliescounter
withtheBerlinairlift.
7 October 1949
The GDR is founded
TheSovietOccupationZone(SBZ)evolvesintothe
GermanDemocraticRepublic(GDR).Wilhelm Pieck
becomesthefirstpresidentandOtto Grotewohl
becomesprimeminister.Politicalpowerlieswiththe
SED,apartythatresultedfromtheforcedunification
oftheSocialDemocraticPartyand
theCommunistPartyin1946.
6 May 1955
NATO membership
TheFederalRepublicofGermany
becomesamemberofNATO.
Themilitaryanddefencealliance
wasfoundedin1949andtoday
includes28membersinNorth
AmericaandEurope.TheEastern
counterpartwastheWarsawPact,
whichwasestablishedin1955
andincludedtheGDR.
25 March 1957 Treaty of Rome
France,Italy,theBeneluxcountriesandGermanyform
theEuropeanEconomicCommunity(EEC)withthe
goalofexpandingeconomiccooperation.TheEECis
thepredecessoroftheEuropeanUnion,whichincludes
27member-stateswith502millioninhabitants.
1 September 1939
Attack on Poland
TheguarantorstatesFranceand
BritainrespondtotheGerman
invasionofPolandwithadecla-
rationofwar,whichmarksthe
beginningofWorldWarll.On
22 June 1941,Hitlerattacksthe
SovietUnion.TheGermandefeat
inStalingradin1943marks
adecisiveturning-point
inthewar.
19 July 1937
“Degenerate art”
AnartexhibitioninMunich
displays650artworksthat
areclassifiedas“degenerate
art”byNazipropagandists.
Theyincludemanyexpres-
sionist,impressionistand
surrealistpaintingsthatdo
notconformtotheaesthetic
tasteoftheNazis.
17 July 1945 Potsdam Conference
The“BigThree”,theUSA,RussiaandBritain,agreeto
transfer25%ofGermansovereignterritorytoPolandand
theSovietUnionandtodividetheremainderinto4zones
ofoccupation,whicharetobedemilitarized,denazified,
democratizedanddecentralized.Inadditionsomefactories
aretobedismantled.
October 1946
Flight and displacement
TheAlliedControlCouncil
estimatesthatthe
numberofdisplaced
personshasreached
9.6million.
7 December 1941 Pearl Harbor
TheJapaneseattackontheUSbasePearlHarborin
HawaiiprecipitatestheentryoftheUnitedStatesinto
WorldWarII.Morethan2,600Americansdieduringthe
attack.GermanydeclareswarontheUnitedStateson
11 December 1941.ThesituationfortheAlliesimproves
significantlyaftertheAmericanentryintothewar.
18 February 1943 White Rose
SophieandHans Scholl,bothmembersof
theMunich-basedresistancegroup“White
Rose”,arearrestedwhilehandingoutleaflets
andarelaterexecuted.(On8 November 1939,
Georg ElsertriedtoassassinateHitler.On
20 July 1944,Claus Schenk Graf
von Stauffenbergorchestrates
anotherassassinationattempt.
6 June 1944 D-Day
AlliedforceslandinNormandyandopenasecondfrontagainstNaziGermany.
Around150,000soldiersbreakthroughtheGermandefencesalongtheFrenchAtlantic
coast.Bymid-June,theAllieshavemorethanonemillionsoldiersonFrenchsoil.
2 June 1967
Death of a student and APO
ThestudentBenno Ohnesorgisshotdead
byapolicemanduringademonstration
againstthePersianShah’svisittoBerlin.
Protestseruptthroughoutthecountry.
Sincethemid-1960s,studentshadformed
theExtra-ParliamentaryOpposition(APO)
tocallforfar-reachingsocietalchanges.
3 May 1971
Erich Honecker
Erich HoneckerbecomesFirst
Secretary(andlaterSecretary-
General)oftheCentralCom-
mitteeoftheSED.In1976,
healsoassumesthechairman-
shipoftheStateCouncilin
theGDR.Heremainsinoffice
untilOctober 1989andis
succeededbyEgon Krenz.
Honeckerfallsillandisnever
heldresponsibleforthecrimes
andfailuresintheGDR.He
diesinChilein1994.
12 April 1961 First man in space
Yuri GagarinfromtheSovietUnionbecomesthefirstmaninspace.
Hiscapsuleorbitsearthfor106minutes.Thefirstsatellite(Sputnik)
hadbeensuccessfullylaunchedin1957.In1969,American
Neil Armstrongbecomesthefirstmantosetfootonthemoon
duringtheApollo11mission.
1 August 1975
The Helsinki Accords
InHelsinki,the“Conference on
Security and Cooperation in
Europe”(CSCE)producesits
finaldeclaration.Itemphasises
economiccooperationandthe
protectionofhumanrights.
TheHelsinkiAccordslater
becomeareferencepointfor
manydissidentsfromEastern
Europe.In1995,theCSCE
evolvesintothe“Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in
Europe”(OSCE).
25 November 1973
Car-free Sundays
TheWestGermangovernmentrespondsto
the1973oilcrisisbyprohibitingtheuseof
privatecarsonfourSundaysinNovember
andDecember 1973.Aspeedlimitof
100km/hisinstitutedforpublichighways.
Thegoalistocurboilconsumptionafter
shortageshaddrivenoilpricesupinthe
aftermathoftheYom-Kippurwar.
26 August 1978 A German in space
Sigmund JähnfromtheGDRbecomesthefirstGerman
toflyintospaceontheSoviet“Soyuz31”mission.
In1983,Ulf Mehrboldbecomesthefirstnon-American
toflyaboardtheSpaceShuttle,andthefirstWest
GermaninSpace.Mehrboldservesonadditionalspace-
flightsin1992and1994. 21 October 1969
Willy Brandt
Willy BrandtbecomesthefirstSocial
Democraticchancellor(inaSPD/
FDPcoalitiongovernment).In1974,
Helmut Schmidt(SPD)succeeds
him.Brandtchoosesthemotto
“Takeachanceondemocracy”for
hisyearsinoffice.In1971,he
receivestheNobelPeacePrizefor
his"NewEasternPolicy".
23 March 1933 Enabling Act
TheReichstagvotesforafar-reachingexpansionof
governmentpowers(whichonlytheSPDopposes).
Hitlercannowpasslawswithoutconsultingparliament.
Amonthearlier,theso-called“FireDecree”restricted
civilandhumanrights.TheGermanReichceasesto
beademocraticconstitutionalstate.
22 March 1933 Concentration camps
ThefirstSSconcentrationcampissetupatDachau.Eventually,theconcentrationcamp
systemencompasses24maincampsandover1,000subsidiarycamps.Prisoners(including
Jews,communists,homosexuals)areinternedforpoliticalor"racial"reasons.
30 January 1933 Nazis assume power
Adolf HitlerisappointedchancellorbyPresidentHindenburg.
Atdusk,NationalSocialistscelebratebymarchingthroughthe
BrandenburgGateinatorchlightparade.TheNSDAPbecame
thestrongestparliamentarypartyin1932.WhenHindenburg
diesin1934,Hitlerassumesthepresidencyaswell.
1950–1971:WalterUlbricht(Secretary-General/FirstSecretary)**
1871–1918:GermanEmpire WeimarRepublic
Post-warera DividedGermany
1949–1963:KonradAdenauer(CDU/CSU+FDP,DPandGB/BHE)*
DividedGermany
1963–1966:LudwigErhard(CDU/CSU+FDP) 1966–1969:KurtG.Kiesinger(CDU/CSU+SPD) 1969–1974:WillyBrandt(SPD+FDP)
1971–1989:ErichHonecker(FirstSecretary/Secretary-General)**
1989:EgonKrenz(Secretary-General)**
DividedGermany
1982–1998:HelmutKohl(CDU/CSU+FDP)
1974–1982:HelmutSchmidt(SPD+FDP)
NaziRegime
WorldWarII
WorldWarI
,presidentoftheGerman
,theRAFhighjackstheLufthansaairliner
“Landshut”inordertobargainthereleaseofimprisonedRAFmembers.Eliteforces
1971–1989:ErichHonecker(FirstSecretary/Secretary-General)**
1974–1982:HelmutSchmidt(SPD+FDP)
1950–1971:WalterUlbricht(Secretary-General/FirstSecretary)**
1935193419331932193119301929192819271926192519241923192219211920191919181917191619151914
19901989198819871986198519841983198219811980
1957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936
1979197819771976197519741973197219711970196919681967196619651964196319621961196019591958
1963–1966:LudwigErhard(CDU/CSU+FDP)1963–1966:LudwigErhard(CDU/CSU+FDP)1963–1966:LudwigErhard(CDU/CSU+FDP)
19661965196419631962
21 December 1972
Basic Treaty
TheFederalRepublicandtheGDRsign
the“BasicTreaty”,whichemphasises
mutualrecognition,therenunciation
25 November 1973
Car-free Sundays
TheWestGermangovernmentrespondsto
the1973oilcrisisbyprohibitingtheuseof
privatecarsonfourSundaysinNovember
andDecember 1973.Aspeedlimitof
100km/hisinstitutedforpublichighways.
Thegoalistocurboilconsumptionafter
shortageshaddrivenoilpricesupinthe
aftermathoftheYom-Kippurwar.
1969–1974:WillyBrandt(SPD+FDP)
197419731972
1971–1989:ErichHonecker(FirstSecretary/Secretary-General)**
1974–1982:HelmutSchmidt(SPD+FDP)
19791978197719671966
12 December 1979
NATO double-track decision
NATOdecidesonadouble-trackstrategy:
WarsawPactnationsareoffereddisarmament
negotiationswhileNATOpursuesrearmament
andmodernisationinWesternEurope.
Thousandsofprotestersmarchagainst
NATO’sstrategy.
26 August 1972
Olympic Games
TheXX.OlympicGamesbegin
inMunich.Theylastuntil
11 September.122teams
withmorethan7,000athletes
setanewparticipationrecord.
Thecelebratorymoodis
dampenedwhenPalestinian
terroristsattacktheIsraeliteam
andtakehostages.Seventeen
peopleultimatelydie.
25 August 1967 Colour TV
TheannualbroadcastingexhibitioninBerlin
marksthebeginningoftheeraofcolourTV
inWestGermany.TheGDRintroduces
colourTVin1969.Oneofthefirstmajor
eventsbroadcastincolourarethe1972
OlympicGames.Oneofthefirstgerman
moviesfilmedincolouris“Münchhausen”
withHans Albers,producedin1943.
22 October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
TheUnitedStatesunequivocallydemandthedismantlingofSovietmedium-range
missile,whichweresetupsecretly,andimposeanavalblockade.Theworld
standsonthebrinkofanatomicwarbetweenthetwosuperpowers.TheRussians
backdownon28 October.
1 February 1917 Submarine warfare
Asfrom1915,theGermanReichrepeatedlyresponds
totheBritishblockadeoftheAtlanticwithsubmarine
attacksonenemyships.TheUSAprotestwhena
GermansubmarinesinksaBritishpassengership
killing139Americanpassengers.Followingatemporary
lull,theGermanReichresumesunrestrictedsubmarine
warfarein1917,whichleadstotheentryoftheUnited
Statesintothewar.
17 June 1953 Popular uprising in the GDR
On17 June,protestsagainsttheSEDgovernmenteruptin
440differentlocalitiesthroughouttheGDR.Theimmediate
causesarerisingproductivitytargetsandalackofconsumer
goods.Protesterslaterdemandfreeelections,German
reunificationandthedismissalofWalter Ulbricht.Theuprising
issuppressedwithhelpfromSoviettroops.
TheannualbroadcastingexhibitioninBerlin
marksthebeginningoftheeraofcolourTV
moviesfilmedincolouris“Münchhausen”
— Legende
Abbreviations:APO=Extra-ParliamentaryOppositionBHE=AssociationofDisplacedandDisenfranchisedGermansCDU=ChristianDemocraticUnionCSU=Christian-SocialUnionDDP=GermanDemocraticPartyDP=GermanPartyEEC=EuropeanEconomicCommunityFDP=Free-DemocraticPartyGDR=GermanDemocraticRepublicKPD=GermanCommunistPartyNATO=NorthAtlanticTreatyOrganisationNSDAP=NationalSocialistGermanWorkers'PartyRAF=RedArmyFactionSBZ=SovietOccupationZoneSED=GermanSocialistUnityPartySPD=GermanSocialDemocraticPartySS=Schutzstaffel(paramilitaryunitsoftheNSDAP)US/USA=UnitedStatesofAmerica
Comments:Theseniorpartywithinacoalitiongovernmentisunderlinedinthetext.
* CDU/CSUheldpowerfrom1949until1963underChancellorAdenauer,eitherasauniongovernment(1960/1961)orwithjuniorpartners(FDP,DP,GB/BHE)inacoalitiongovernment.
** AlthoughtheGermanDemocraticRepublicwasfoundedinOctober1949,thepostofGeneralSecretaryoftheSEDCentralCommitteewasonlycreatedatthe3rdSEDPartyConferenceinJuly1950.From1953to1976thepositionwasrenamed“FirstSecretaryoftheSEDCentralCommittee”.
FurtherinformationaboutpowerpoliticsintheGDRisavailableat:www.hdg.de/lemo/html/DasGeteilteDeutschland/index.html,includingmaterial(relatingtoevents)post-October1989.
— Impressum
—Herausgeberin:BundeszentralefürpolitischeBildung/bpb,Adenauerallee86,53113Bonn,www.bpb.de
—Autor:RobbyGeyer,Heidelberg—Redaktion:IrisMöckel(verantwortlich),NinaSchillings(beidebpb);Mitarbeit:Dr.EckartThurich—EnglischeÜbersetzung:MartinEiermann,London;Lektorat:DavidThorne,Bornheim
—Gestaltung:Leitwerk.BürofürKommunikation,Köln,www.leitwerk.com—Illustrationen:KatharinaPlass,unterVerwendungvonIllustrationenvonIlkaHelmig,IvanaJovic,NadineMagner,CorneliaPistorius,FriederikeSchlenz,AnikaTakagi,CarolinZorn(alleLeitwerk)
—Druck:OffizinScheufeleDruckundMedienGmbH+Co.KG,Stuttgart
—Urheberrechte:TextundIllustrationensindurheber-rechtlichgeschützt.DerTextkanninSchulenzuUnterrichts-zweckenvergütungsfreivervielfältigtwerden.
—Redaktionsschluss:Mai2012,Bestell-Nr.5.431,ISBN978-3-8389-7065-3
—HinweisederRedaktion:1.DieZeitleistezumHerunterladenfindenSiehier:www.bpb.de/falter(>Zeitgeschichte)
2.Kritik,Lob,Anregungenbittean:[email protected]
Falter Zeitgeschichte
German history: 1914 to 1990
11 March 1985 Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail GorbachevbecomesGeneralSecretaryof
theCommunistPartyintheSovietUnionand
launchestheGlasnost(transparency)andPerestroika
(remodelling)reforms.Heremainspresidentuntil
1991butcannotpreventtheimplosionofthe
EasternBloc.Gorbachevconductsdisarmament
negotiationswithUSPresident
Ronald Reagan.
3 August 1984 First email
TheUniversityofKarlsruhereceivesthefirstemailinGermany.ItwassentfromtheUnitedStatesaspartof
aprojectaimedatimprovingscientificcommunicationandexchange.Today,itishardtoimagineaworld
withoutemailandothernewcommunicationtechnologiesasmorethan50millionGermansusetheinternet.
3 October 1990
German Unification
Theaccessionoffivenewstatesto
theGermanconstitutionfinalises
theprocessofformalreunification
ofGermany.Thefirstnational
electioninunifiedGermanyisheld
on2 December.Thealliedpowers
consenttounificationinthe“Two
PlusFourAgreement”.Thepost-
wareraisofficiallyover.
9 November 1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall
TheGDRregimeopensthebordertoWestBerlin“withoutfurtherdelay”.Inthe
followingdays,theremainingbordertoWestGermanyissuccessivelyopened.
AsfromMay 1989,manyEastGermancitizenshadfledtoGermanyviaHungary
andAustria.IntheWestGermanembassyinPrague,thousandsofpeoplefrom
theGDRseekrefugebeforebeingallowedtotraveltotheWest.
1 October 1982
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl(CDU)iselectedchancellor
inaCDU/CSU/FDPcoalitiongovernment.
HispredecessorHelmut Schmidt(SPD)
hadbeenremovedfromofficethrough
aconstructivevoteofnoconfidence.
Kohlisthelongest-servingchancellorin
Germanhistory;heremainsinofficeuntil
1998.Hisachievementsduringthetime
ofreunificationhaveearnedKohl
thenickname“ChancellorofUnification”.
5 September 1977 “German Autumn” and the RAF
The“RedArmyFaction”(RAF)abductsHanns Martin Schleyer,presidentoftheGerman
Employers’Federation.On13 October,theRAFhighjackstheLufthansaairliner
“Landshut”inordertobargainthereleaseofimprisonedRAFmembers.Eliteforces
oftheGSG-9policeunitstormtheplane.SeveralRAFmemberscommit
suicide,andSchleyeriskilled.
15 August 1969 Woodstock
History’smostfamousmusicfestivallastsuntiltheearlyhours
of18 August.32bandsandartistsperformblues,folk,soul,
androckmusicinfrontofseveralhundredthousandfans.
Woodstockisregardedasahighlightofthehippiemovement
andasaniconicrepresentationofyouthcultureinthe1960s.
4 December 1971 First McDonald’s
Germany’sfirstMcDonald’sfranchiseopensinMunich.Today,morethan1,400McDonald’s
existinGermany,andotherfastfoodchainshaveopenedrestaurantsaswell.Fastfoodis
criticisedforbeingunhealthy,andharmfultotheenvironment.
21 December 1972
Basic Treaty
TheFederalRepublicandtheGDRsign
the“BasicTreaty”,whichemphasises
mutualrecognition,therenunciation
ofarmedattacks,andtheexchangeof
diplomaticrepresentatives.Further
treatieswithstatesfromtheEastern
Blocfollowandimproverelationswith
WestGermany.
13 August 1961
Construction of the Berlin Wall
TheGDRregimeclosestheborderbetweenEastandWest
BerlintopreventemigrationtotheWest.Muchoftheborder
betweenEastandWestGermanyhadalreadybeenclosed
andheavilyfortifiedsince1952.Around3.5millionpeople
stillmanagetoleavetheGDRbetween1945and1961.
Atleast136peoplediewhiletryingtocrosstheBerlinWall
between1961and1989.
9 November 1923
Beer Hall Putsch
Adolf HitlerandErich Ludendorffdeclarea
“nationalrevolution”inMunichandplanto
organiseamarchonBerlin.Localpolice
quicklysubduetheuprising.Hitlerislater
arrestedandsentencedtoprison,butis
releasedafterninemonthsfor“goodconduct”.
14 August 1919
Weimar Constitution
TheConstitutionalConvention
adoptsademocraticconstitution.
Itentersintoforceon14 August.
On11 February,Friedrich Ebert
iselectedpresidentinWeimar.
ThepoliticalpartiesSPD,DDP
andtheCentrePartyformthe
so-called“WeimarCoalition”.
26 April 1925
A new president
Paul von Hindenburgiselectedpresident
inarun-offelectionafterthedeathof
Friedrich Ebert.In1932,heisre-elected
againstAdolf Hitler.Hindenburgisa
monarchistwhocommandedtheGerman
forcesduringWorldWarI.Hebelievesin
the“stab-in-the-backlegend”,which
believesthatlackofpoliticalsupportat
homewasresponsibleforthedefeatof
Germanforces.
10 January 1927 Metropolis
Premiereofthesilentmovie“Metropolis”by
theGermandirectorFritz Lang.Thisscience
fictionmovieisnowregardedasoneofthe
mostimportantexpressionistworksinfilm
history.Criticsandaudiencesatthetime
didnotlikeitandpreferredtheincreasingly
popularmovieswithsound.Thefirstcinema
inBerlinopenedin1896.
28 July 1914 World War I
– triggeredbytheassassinationinSarajevo(28 June)
– 28 July:Austria-HungarydeclareswaronSerbia
– 1 August:TheGermanReichdeclareswaronRussia
– 3 August:TheGermanReichdeclareswaronFrance
– 5 August:GreatBritaindeclareswaronGermanyafter
GermantroopsinvadeBelgium
25 October 1929
Black Friday
StockpricesattheNewYorkStock
Exchangeplummetforseveraldays,
triggeringaglobaleconomiccrisis.
Germanyishitespeciallyhardas
foreignloansarewithdrawn.Morethan
sixmillionpeoplelosetheirjobsby1932.
30 March 1930
Presidential cabinet
Heinrich Brüningiselectedpresidentand
formsapresidentialcabinet.Itdoesnot
haveaparliamentarymajoritybut
usesemergencydecreestoenactpolicies.
Twomorepresidentialcabinetsfollow,
underFranz von Papen(1932)
andKurt von Schleicher(1932/33).
1925 Bauhaus in Dessau
TheBauhausisfoundedin1919byWalter GropiusinWeimarasaneducationalinstitution
forarchitecture,art,anddesign.In1925,itmovestoDessau.
16 July 1927
Money for the unemployed
Unemploymentinsurancebecomesthe
fourthpillaroftheGermanwelfarestate.
Chancellorvon Bismarckintroduced
healthinsurance(1883),accidentinsurance
(1884)andpensions(1889).
1 December 1925
Treaty of Locarno
TheTreatyofLocarnomarksthefirststeps
towardsthenormalisationofrelationsbetween
GermanyandtheAllies.Allpartiesagreeto
respectnationalborders.In1926,Germanyis
admittedtotheLeagueofNations(whichwas
foundedin1920),aninternationalorganisation
thataimstomaintainworldpeace.
7 November 1917
October Revolution in Russia
MutinoustroopsoccupystrategiclocationsinSt.Petersburg
on25 October(accordingtotheRussiancalendar).
ThegovernmentisoverthrownandreplacedbyaCouncilof
People’sCommissarsunderLenin’sleadership.Abloody
civilwarragesuntiltheBolsheviksgainvictorywiththehelp
oftheirmilitia,theRedArmy.
9 November 1918 Declaration of the Republic in Germany
Onhisowninitiativethechancellor,Max von BadenannouncestheabdicationofKaiser
Wilhelm II.Philipp Scheidemann(SPD)declaresthe“DemocraticRepublic”at2p.m.froma
windowoftheReichstag.Shortlyafterwards,Karl Liebknecht(laterKPD)announcesthe
“SocialistRepublic”fromtheBerlinCityPalace.Wilhelm IIofficiallyabdicateson28 November.
10 January 1920 Treaty of Versailles
WorldWarIisofficiallyover,andtheTreatyofVersaillesentersintoforce.
TheGermanReichanditsalliesaremadesolelyresponsibleforthe
outbreakofthewar;Germanyisforcedtoconcedeterritoryandmake
reparationpayments.Topromoteworldpeace,thetreatystipulatesthe
foundingofaninternationalLeagueofNations.
1923 Hyperinflation
ThevalueoftheMarkfallsasthegovernmentcontinuestoprint
money.Pricesexplodeandsuppliesbecomescarce.
On1 November,oneloafofbreadcosts192,000,000,000Mark
inthecityofKassel.Theintroductionofthe“DebtSecurityMark”
on15 Novemberbreaksthecycleofinflation.
1 August 1936
Olympic Games
From1 Augustuntil16 August,Berlin
playshosttotheSummerOlympic
Games.TheNaziregimeusesthe
eventtopresentitselftotheworld
asanopenandpeacefulcountry.
TheAfrican-Americansprinter
Jesse Owensbecomesthemost
successfulathleteinBerlin.Laterthat
year,thefirstgermanWinterOlympics
areheldinGarmisch-Partenkirchen.
20 January 1942
Wannsee Conference
SScommanderHeydrichmeets
seniorgovernmentandparty
officialsinavillaontheWannsee
inBerlintopresentaplan,already
inimplementation,fortheexter-
minationofallEuropeanJews
inGerman-heldterritory.By1945
aroundsixmillionpeoplehad
perishedintheHolocaust.
19 April 1943 Ghetto uprising
Asfrommid-1940,500,000Jewsfrom
GermanyandPolandwereforcedintoa4km2
sectionofWarsaw.Theghettoservesasa
collectionpointforJewsduetobedeported
intothedeathcamps.InApril 1943,ghetto
inmatesstageanuprising(despitebeing
insufficientlyarmed).IttakestheSSuntil16 May
tosubduetherevolt.
9 November 1938
“Night of Broken Glass”
TheNazisinciteattackson
Jewishsynagogues,houses
andshopsthroughoutGermany.
Jewishshopswereboycotted
asfrom1933,andJewishcivil
servantswerefiredfromtheir
jobs.In1935,theNazispassed
the“Nurembergracelaws”.
1940 Fanta is invented
TheingredientsfortheCocaColarecipearescarce
duringwartime.AGermanchemistdevelopsFanta,
anorange-flavouredwheydrink.Sincethe1950s,
Fantahasbeenproducedinothercountriesaswell,
albeitwithadifferentrecipe.
1948 First
Mustang jeans
TheL.Hermann
clothingfactoryin
Künzelsau,Germany,
(laterrenamed
“MustangJeans”)producesthe
firstpairofEuropeanjeans.
Theywereallegedlyinvented
bytheGermanemigree
Löb Strauß(laterLevi Strauss),
whomanufacturedthefirst
Americanpairofjeansin1873.
Inthe1950s,jeansturn
fromaworking-classiteminto
ayouthsymbolforfreedom
andrebellion.
10 December 1948
Human rights
ThemembersoftheUnited
Nations(UN)announcethe
UniversalDeclarationofHuman
Rights.TheUNhadbeen
foundedin1945andtoday
includes193membersstates.
EastandWestGermanywere
acceptedintotheUNin1973.
Themaintasksofthe
UNaretheprotection
ofglobalpeaceand
humanrights.
8 May 1945 German surrender
TheGermanWehrmachtunconditionally
surrenderstothealliedforces.WorldWarII
inEuropeisover.Japansurrenderson
2 September,aftertheexplosionsoftwo
atomicbombsinHiroshima(6 August)and
Nagasaki(9 August).WorldWarIIresulted
inanestimateddeathtollof50to70million
worldwide.
4 July 1954 The Miracle of Bern
TheWestGermanfootballteamwinstheworld
championshipsafterbeatingthefavourites,
Hungary,3:2inthefinalinSwitzerland.Further
WorldCupvictoriesin1974(inGermany,and
afterlosing0:1totheGDRintheopeninground)
and1990(inItaly).
23 May 1949 German Constitution
The“Grundgesetz”,theGermanconstitution,comesintoforce.
ItwasdraftedbytheParliamentaryCouncil(65electoralmembers,
includingfourwomen)withthebackingofthethreeWestern
allies.Theodor HeussisswornintoofficeasGermanpresidenton
12 September.Threedayslater,Konrad Adenauerbecomesthe
firstGermanchancellor.
20 June 1948
Currency reform
TheDeutschmarkisintro-
ducedinWestGermany.
ItisreplacedbytheEuro
in2002.EveryGerman
receivesfortyMark
“bounty”.Thecurrency
reformintheWestern
zonesresultsintheSoviet
blockadeofBerlin,which
theWesternAlliescounter
withtheBerlinairlift.
7 October 1949
The GDR is founded
TheSovietOccupationZone(SBZ)evolvesintothe
GermanDemocraticRepublic(GDR).Wilhelm Pieck
becomesthefirstpresidentandOtto Grotewohl
becomesprimeminister.Politicalpowerlieswiththe
SED,apartythatresultedfromtheforcedunification
oftheSocialDemocraticPartyand
theCommunistPartyin1946.
6 May 1955
NATO membership
TheFederalRepublicofGermany
becomesamemberofNATO.
Themilitaryanddefencealliance
wasfoundedin1949andtoday
includes28membersinNorth
AmericaandEurope.TheEastern
counterpartwastheWarsawPact,
whichwasestablishedin1955
andincludedtheGDR.
25 March 1957 Treaty of Rome
France,Italy,theBeneluxcountriesandGermanyform
theEuropeanEconomicCommunity(EEC)withthe
goalofexpandingeconomiccooperation.TheEECis
thepredecessoroftheEuropeanUnion,whichincludes
27member-stateswith502millioninhabitants.
1 September 1939
Attack on Poland
TheguarantorstatesFranceand
BritainrespondtotheGerman
invasionofPolandwithadecla-
rationofwar,whichmarksthe
beginningofWorldWarll.On
22 June 1941,Hitlerattacksthe
SovietUnion.TheGermandefeat
inStalingradin1943marks
adecisiveturning-point
inthewar.
19 July 1937
“Degenerate art”
AnartexhibitioninMunich
displays650artworksthat
areclassifiedas“degenerate
art”byNazipropagandists.
Theyincludemanyexpres-
sionist,impressionistand
surrealistpaintingsthatdo
notconformtotheaesthetic
tasteoftheNazis.
17 July 1945 Potsdam Conference
The“BigThree”,theUSA,RussiaandBritain,agreeto
transfer25%ofGermansovereignterritorytoPolandand
theSovietUnionandtodividetheremainderinto4zones
ofoccupation,whicharetobedemilitarized,denazified,
democratizedanddecentralized.Inadditionsomefactories
aretobedismantled.
October 1946
Flight and displacement
TheAlliedControlCouncil
estimatesthatthe
numberofdisplaced
personshasreached
9.6million.
7 December 1941 Pearl Harbor
TheJapaneseattackontheUSbasePearlHarborin
HawaiiprecipitatestheentryoftheUnitedStatesinto
WorldWarII.Morethan2,600Americansdieduringthe
attack.GermanydeclareswarontheUnitedStateson
11 December 1941.ThesituationfortheAlliesimproves
significantlyaftertheAmericanentryintothewar.
18 February 1943 White Rose
SophieandHans Scholl,bothmembersof
theMunich-basedresistancegroup“White
Rose”,arearrestedwhilehandingoutleaflets
andarelaterexecuted.(On8 November 1939,
Georg ElsertriedtoassassinateHitler.On
20 July 1944,Claus Schenk Graf
von Stauffenbergorchestrates
anotherassassinationattempt.
6 June 1944 D-Day
AlliedforceslandinNormandyandopenasecondfrontagainstNaziGermany.
Around150,000soldiersbreakthroughtheGermandefencesalongtheFrenchAtlantic
coast.Bymid-June,theAllieshavemorethanonemillionsoldiersonFrenchsoil.
2 June 1967
Death of a student and APO
ThestudentBenno Ohnesorgisshotdead
byapolicemanduringademonstration
againstthePersianShah’svisittoBerlin.
Protestseruptthroughoutthecountry.
Sincethemid-1960s,studentshadformed
theExtra-ParliamentaryOpposition(APO)
tocallforfar-reachingsocietalchanges.
3 May 1971
Erich Honecker
Erich HoneckerbecomesFirst
Secretary(andlaterSecretary-
General)oftheCentralCom-
mitteeoftheSED.In1976,
healsoassumesthechairman-
shipoftheStateCouncilin
theGDR.Heremainsinoffice
untilOctober 1989andis
succeededbyEgon Krenz.
Honeckerfallsillandisnever
heldresponsibleforthecrimes
andfailuresintheGDR.He
diesinChilein1994.
12 April 1961 First man in space
Yuri GagarinfromtheSovietUnionbecomesthefirstmaninspace.
Hiscapsuleorbitsearthfor106minutes.Thefirstsatellite(Sputnik)
hadbeensuccessfullylaunchedin1957.In1969,American
Neil Armstrongbecomesthefirstmantosetfootonthemoon
duringtheApollo11mission.
1 August 1975
The Helsinki Accords
InHelsinki,the“Conference on
Security and Cooperation in
Europe”(CSCE)producesits
finaldeclaration.Itemphasises
economiccooperationandthe
protectionofhumanrights.
TheHelsinkiAccordslater
becomeareferencepointfor
manydissidentsfromEastern
Europe.In1995,theCSCE
evolvesintothe“Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in
Europe”(OSCE).
25 November 1973
Car-free Sundays
TheWestGermangovernmentrespondsto
the1973oilcrisisbyprohibitingtheuseof
privatecarsonfourSundaysinNovember
andDecember 1973.Aspeedlimitof
100km/hisinstitutedforpublichighways.
Thegoalistocurboilconsumptionafter
shortageshaddrivenoilpricesupinthe
aftermathoftheYom-Kippurwar.
26 August 1978 A German in space
Sigmund JähnfromtheGDRbecomesthefirstGerman
toflyintospaceontheSoviet“Soyuz31”mission.
In1983,Ulf Mehrboldbecomesthefirstnon-American
toflyaboardtheSpaceShuttle,andthefirstWest
GermaninSpace.Mehrboldservesonadditionalspace-
flightsin1992and1994. 21 October 1969
Willy Brandt
Willy BrandtbecomesthefirstSocial
Democraticchancellor(inaSPD/
FDPcoalitiongovernment).In1974,
Helmut Schmidt(SPD)succeeds
him.Brandtchoosesthemotto
“Takeachanceondemocracy”for
hisyearsinoffice.In1971,he
receivestheNobelPeacePrizefor
his"NewEasternPolicy".
23 March 1933 Enabling Act
TheReichstagvotesforafar-reachingexpansionof
governmentpowers(whichonlytheSPDopposes).
Hitlercannowpasslawswithoutconsultingparliament.
Amonthearlier,theso-called“FireDecree”restricted
civilandhumanrights.TheGermanReichceasesto
beademocraticconstitutionalstate.
22 March 1933 Concentration camps
ThefirstSSconcentrationcampissetupatDachau.Eventually,theconcentrationcamp
systemencompasses24maincampsandover1,000subsidiarycamps.Prisoners(including
Jews,communists,homosexuals)areinternedforpoliticalor"racial"reasons.
30 January 1933 Nazis assume power
Adolf HitlerisappointedchancellorbyPresidentHindenburg.
Atdusk,NationalSocialistscelebratebymarchingthroughthe
BrandenburgGateinatorchlightparade.TheNSDAPbecame
thestrongestparliamentarypartyin1932.WhenHindenburg
diesin1934,Hitlerassumesthepresidencyaswell.
1950–1971:WalterUlbricht(Secretary-General/FirstSecretary)**
1871–1918:GermanEmpire WeimarRepublic
Post-warera DividedGermany
1949–1963:KonradAdenauer(CDU/CSU+FDP,DPandGB/BHE)*
DividedGermany
1963–1966:LudwigErhard(CDU/CSU+FDP) 1966–1969:KurtG.Kiesinger(CDU/CSU+SPD) 1969–1974:WillyBrandt(SPD+FDP)
1971–1989:ErichHonecker(FirstSecretary/Secretary-General)**
1989:EgonKrenz(Secretary-General)**
DividedGermany
1982–1998:HelmutKohl(CDU/CSU+FDP)
1974–1982:HelmutSchmidt(SPD+FDP)
NaziRegime
WorldWarII
WorldWarI
1 October 1982
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl(CDU)iselectedchancellorHelmut Kohl(CDU)iselectedchancellorHelmut Kohl
inaCDU/CSU/FDPcoalitiongovernment.
HispredecessorHelmut Schmidt
hadbeenremovedfromofficethrough
aconstructivevoteofnoconfidence.
1935193419331932193119301929192819271926192519241923192219211920191919181917191619151914
19901989198819871986198519841983198219811980
1957195619551954195319521951195019491948194719461945194419431942194119401939193819371936
1979197819771976197519741973197219711970196919681967196619651964196319621961196019591958
negotiationswithUSPresident
DividedGermany
12 December 1979
NATO double-track decision
NATOdecidesonadouble-trackstrategy:
WarsawPactnationsareoffereddisarmament
negotiationswhileNATOpursuesrearmament
andmodernisationinWesternEurope.
Thousandsofprotestersmarchagainst
NATO’sstrategy.
26 August 1972
Olympic Games
TheXX.OlympicGamesbegin
inMunich.Theylastuntil
11 September.122teams
withmorethan7,000athletes
setanewparticipationrecord.
Thecelebratorymoodis
dampenedwhenPalestinian
terroristsattacktheIsraeliteam
andtakehostages.Seventeen
peopleultimatelydie.
25 August 1967 Colour TV
TheannualbroadcastingexhibitioninBerlin
marksthebeginningoftheeraofcolourTV
inWestGermany.TheGDRintroduces
colourTVin1969.Oneofthefirstmajor
eventsbroadcastincolourarethe1972
OlympicGames.Oneofthefirstgerman
moviesfilmedincolouris“Münchhausen”
withHans Albers,producedin1943.
22 October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis
TheUnitedStatesunequivocallydemandthedismantlingofSovietmedium-range
missile,whichweresetupsecretly,andimposeanavalblockade.Theworld
standsonthebrinkofanatomicwarbetweenthetwosuperpowers.TheRussians
backdownon28 October.
1 February 1917 Submarine warfare
Asfrom1915,theGermanReichrepeatedlyresponds
totheBritishblockadeoftheAtlanticwithsubmarine
attacksonenemyships.TheUSAprotestwhena
GermansubmarinesinksaBritishpassengership
killing139Americanpassengers.Followingatemporary
lull,theGermanReichresumesunrestrictedsubmarine
warfarein1917,whichleadstotheentryoftheUnited
Statesintothewar.
17 June 1953 Popular uprising in the GDR
On17 June,protestsagainsttheSEDgovernmenteruptin
440differentlocalitiesthroughouttheGDR.Theimmediate
causesarerisingproductivitytargetsandalackofconsumer
goods.Protesterslaterdemandfreeelections,German
reunificationandthedismissalofWalter Ulbricht.Theuprising
issuppressedwithhelpfromSoviettroops.
1990198919881987