Deleted member 117308
TL #4 - Big Tent Politics!
What if the SPD and CDU formed a coalition in 1949?
1949: Kurt Schumacher (SPD - CDU) [1]
1952: Kurt Schumacher (SPD - CDU) [2]
1954: Erich Ollenhauer (SPD - CDU) [3]
1956: Gerhard Schröder (FDP - CDU) [4]
1960: Gerhard Schröder (FDP - CDU) [5]
1962: Herbert Hupka (SPD-GB/BHE) [6]
1964: Herbert Hupka (SPD-VP) [7]
1966: Gustav Heinemann (GVP-CDU) [8]
1970: Rainer Barzel (GVP-CDU) [9]
1971: Reiner Barzel (GVP -CDU) [10]
[1] After the Social Democrats narrowly win the first election in West Germany a coalition with the CDU is formed. The former CDU chairman Adenauer was sidelined, after his declining health became publicly known. Parts of the CDU and the FDP are still worried, that the Schumacher´s foreign policy would turn Germany into a Soviet satellite.
[2] Schumacher's brief tenure had an impact that couldn’t be measured in mere time. While many of SPD policies were tempered by the necessity of the coalition with the CDU rather than Schumacher’s own beliefs, he is still generally credited as an architect of the “Third Way”, an independent path between the West and East. The early 1952 election was dubbed the “Stroke Election”, called in an effort to head off challenges from the Opposition parties. While the SPD-CDU coalition returned to power, Schumacher played little role in campaigning and it was clear he would need to be replaced soon.
[3] In 1954 Erich Ollenhauer replaced Schumacher as chancellor. The coalition remained stable, but Ollenhauer was not as popular as his predecessor. The elections of 1956 seemed to be unpredictable. Will Ollenhauer remain in power, or will he be replaced by a CDU or even a FDP candidate?
[4] The 1956 elections began a changeover. Gerhard Schröder and the right-wing FDP succeeded in shifting the balance of power to the right and overtaking the SPD and convinced the Christian Democrats to form a coalition with them. Its governance initiated a shift of the country towards the west.
[5] After the elections chancellor Schröder announces further cooperation with the Franco-Italian Coal and Steel Community (FICSC). One day later the new Soviet general secretary Beria answers with blockade of West Berlin.
[6] The blockade of West Berlin was soon ended when it emerged that the FICSC members and the USA stood up to Beria, who, in an attempt to save face, offered the German leadership a unified, neutral Germany. The opposition SPD, in an effort to strengthen Schumacher's vision of a "Third Way", pressured to accept Beria's offer, but Schröder intended to stay on the Western course and talked about West Germany becoming part of FICSC. This prompted outcry among many CDU and FDP deputees, who switched their allegiance either to the SPD, or the nationalist All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights, the fiercest opposition to FICSC entry, and the party mostly in favour of a neutralist, unified Germany. With the coalition having lost its majority in the Bundestag, Schröder called for a vote of confidence through an early election. Controversially, the SPD chose Herbert Hupka as its candidate and won the majority of votes. As promised during the campaign, he put together a coalition with the GB/BHE in order to advance German unification.
[7] With its attempt to create a "third way", the government in Bonn is attracting the wrath of Westerners. Threats of economic sanctions in the event of a rapprochement force the coalition to act very cautiously and to offer guarantees to what is now called the "Western European Community". The All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights reorganises itself into the "People's Party", which competes with the FDP on the right while the CDU moderates itself to attract SPD voters worried about the coalition.
[8]The rebranding does not end the left-nationalist coalition's troubles, however. With reunification negotiations stalling into 1966, SPD moderates incensed by Hupka and GB/BHE "blowing our chance at reunification over Ostelbien bullshit" desert the coalition en masse. Heinemann's GVP, a fringe splinter party in '60 and '62, finds itself in the role of the patriotic-but-sensible moderate choice needed in those times and wins a landslide victory in the 1966 elections.
[9] while the coalition is succesful in the 1970 election, Heinmann decides to retire at age 71, handing the chancellorship over to Barzel
[10] The negotiations with the USSR are successful and Germany finally unifies. But chancellor Barzel had to pay a price. Germany had to limit her army sieze and had to pay war reparations to the USSR. In addition Barzel had to accept that Germany would remain neutral during the Cold War and had to revoke the KPD ban. The most controversial demand was that amnesty was given to all SED members. The first elections after unification will take place in 1971.
What if the SPD and CDU formed a coalition in 1949?
1949: Kurt Schumacher (SPD - CDU) [1]
1952: Kurt Schumacher (SPD - CDU) [2]
1954: Erich Ollenhauer (SPD - CDU) [3]
1956: Gerhard Schröder (FDP - CDU) [4]
1960: Gerhard Schröder (FDP - CDU) [5]
1962: Herbert Hupka (SPD-GB/BHE) [6]
1964: Herbert Hupka (SPD-VP) [7]
1966: Gustav Heinemann (GVP-CDU) [8]
1970: Rainer Barzel (GVP-CDU) [9]
1971: Reiner Barzel (GVP -CDU) [10]
[1] After the Social Democrats narrowly win the first election in West Germany a coalition with the CDU is formed. The former CDU chairman Adenauer was sidelined, after his declining health became publicly known. Parts of the CDU and the FDP are still worried, that the Schumacher´s foreign policy would turn Germany into a Soviet satellite.
[2] Schumacher's brief tenure had an impact that couldn’t be measured in mere time. While many of SPD policies were tempered by the necessity of the coalition with the CDU rather than Schumacher’s own beliefs, he is still generally credited as an architect of the “Third Way”, an independent path between the West and East. The early 1952 election was dubbed the “Stroke Election”, called in an effort to head off challenges from the Opposition parties. While the SPD-CDU coalition returned to power, Schumacher played little role in campaigning and it was clear he would need to be replaced soon.
[3] In 1954 Erich Ollenhauer replaced Schumacher as chancellor. The coalition remained stable, but Ollenhauer was not as popular as his predecessor. The elections of 1956 seemed to be unpredictable. Will Ollenhauer remain in power, or will he be replaced by a CDU or even a FDP candidate?
[4] The 1956 elections began a changeover. Gerhard Schröder and the right-wing FDP succeeded in shifting the balance of power to the right and overtaking the SPD and convinced the Christian Democrats to form a coalition with them. Its governance initiated a shift of the country towards the west.
[5] After the elections chancellor Schröder announces further cooperation with the Franco-Italian Coal and Steel Community (FICSC). One day later the new Soviet general secretary Beria answers with blockade of West Berlin.
[6] The blockade of West Berlin was soon ended when it emerged that the FICSC members and the USA stood up to Beria, who, in an attempt to save face, offered the German leadership a unified, neutral Germany. The opposition SPD, in an effort to strengthen Schumacher's vision of a "Third Way", pressured to accept Beria's offer, but Schröder intended to stay on the Western course and talked about West Germany becoming part of FICSC. This prompted outcry among many CDU and FDP deputees, who switched their allegiance either to the SPD, or the nationalist All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights, the fiercest opposition to FICSC entry, and the party mostly in favour of a neutralist, unified Germany. With the coalition having lost its majority in the Bundestag, Schröder called for a vote of confidence through an early election. Controversially, the SPD chose Herbert Hupka as its candidate and won the majority of votes. As promised during the campaign, he put together a coalition with the GB/BHE in order to advance German unification.
[7] With its attempt to create a "third way", the government in Bonn is attracting the wrath of Westerners. Threats of economic sanctions in the event of a rapprochement force the coalition to act very cautiously and to offer guarantees to what is now called the "Western European Community". The All-German Bloc/League of Expellees and Deprived of Rights reorganises itself into the "People's Party", which competes with the FDP on the right while the CDU moderates itself to attract SPD voters worried about the coalition.
[8]The rebranding does not end the left-nationalist coalition's troubles, however. With reunification negotiations stalling into 1966, SPD moderates incensed by Hupka and GB/BHE "blowing our chance at reunification over Ostelbien bullshit" desert the coalition en masse. Heinemann's GVP, a fringe splinter party in '60 and '62, finds itself in the role of the patriotic-but-sensible moderate choice needed in those times and wins a landslide victory in the 1966 elections.
[9] while the coalition is succesful in the 1970 election, Heinmann decides to retire at age 71, handing the chancellorship over to Barzel
[10] The negotiations with the USSR are successful and Germany finally unifies. But chancellor Barzel had to pay a price. Germany had to limit her army sieze and had to pay war reparations to the USSR. In addition Barzel had to accept that Germany would remain neutral during the Cold War and had to revoke the KPD ban. The most controversial demand was that amnesty was given to all SED members. The first elections after unification will take place in 1971.
Last edited by a moderator: