A Level Excel German History- FRG Questions
with Answers
KEY - correct answers? - Theme 1 (Political and Governmental Change)
?? - Theme 2 (Opposition, Control and Consent)
??? - Theme 3 (Eco. development and policies)
???? - Theme 4 (Aspects of life)
What currency reforms were there and what effect did they have??? - Correct answers - Reich
mark replaced with Deutschmark 20th June 1948
- Private Citizens could exchange RM60 to DM40; wages were converted at DM1 to RM1
though savings were converted at RM1000 to DM6.5, debts to value of RM400 billion wiped out
- Authorities gave large deposits to banks to loan to businesses, industrial output increased 50%
- Erhard announces abolition of price controls and relaxation of rationing, prod. Had more
incentive to produce and farmers to send food to markets
- Tax reforms also took place with rate for DM 24000 falling to 18% in 1950 compared to the
85% it was at 1948
- Led to stimulation of economy, with more money to spend, demand increases stimulating
supply
- Absents reduced from 9.5 hrs to 2hrs per week, meaning more productivity
- 1950: industrial prod grew 25%; unemployment fell from 10.3% to 1.2 by 1960
- 1949 to 55 salaries increased 80%
What was the social market economy??? - Correct answers - Free market, end to
monopolies/cartels (few large companies control market), fairer tax system
- Middle way between completely free unregulated market and state-controlled
- Businesses allowed to develop independently while state ensured fair competition and
intervened to protect the vulnerable
What were the War Tribunals?? - Correct answers - Used to try former Nazis, generally halted
by March 1948 due to sheer number and complexity of cases
- Nuremburg trials consisted of 4 judges, from each Allied Power, trials started 20th November
1945 till October 1946
- 12 received death sentences, 7 prison terms from 10 years to life, 177 (out of possible pool of
5000) former military and civilian officials tried
- Further trials of endives. Connected to regime took place e.g. industrialist Crump
- In total 5000 were prosecuted, 486 executed
- Americans held 489 lower-level official trials 1416/1672 defendants found guilty
- French prosecuted 2000 former Nazis
, - Still most directly involved in war crimes escaped punishment e.g. Auschwitz doctor Josef
Mengele went into hiding/fled Germany
- In British zone 15 out of 45 acquitted due to plea of 'obeying orders'
What problems of de-Notification were there?? - Correct answers - April 1945 Hayman from
British zone declares that all citizens need to be investigated
- Americans sifted through 1.6 mill Fragebogen (questionnaires about activities during Nazi Rule
leading to be categorized into one of 5, ranging from Major Offender to Exonerated who got
Persil certificate) resulting in 374,000 former Nazis losing current posts, issue because:
◘ Cologne: serious problem with water supply with 18/21 specialists under investigation for
Nazi past, indispensable skills meant they soon returned to work
◘ Bonn: 102/112 doctors were former Nazis, past had to be ignored due to their medical skills
- Issue was mainly with those forced into joining Nazi associations to keep their jobs
- US listed 3.5 mill as answerable to charges, March 1946 local tribunals set up to undertake
cases, however 90% of legal professionals had been Nazi members leading to final year legal
students having to take over some cases in brutish zone
- Largely abandoned by 1950, 1949 FRG ended all investigations into civil servants
- 1951 Reinstatement Act allowed former Nazis to rejoin civil servants and judiciary
- Abandonment resulted in wide spread criticism esp. with Denair’s foreign ministry containing
39 foreign former Nazi Party members
- Vast majority quick1ly developed and maintained support for new democratic system
To what extent was the regime supported?? - Correct answers - Turnout for elections was high
ranging from 78.9% in 1949 to 91.1 in 1972
- Lack of support for extremist parties KPD came back as Communist Party of Germany (DKP
which did poorly in elections with a membership never more than 50,000
- Stable enough for new political developments such as arrival of Green Party in Bundestag in
1983
What was the welfare system like?? - Correct answers - Family welfare measures introduced
e.g. child benefits 1954
- Unemployment benefit
- Accident and sickness insurance
- Effective pension system
- Subsidies for house building, 1949-61, 6 mill flats built half classed as 'council'
What were industrial relations like?? - Correct answers - FRG embraced modern system with
inclusion of trade unions and good working conditions
- 1949 single umbrella organization formed for trade unions (German Federation of Trade
Unions) allowing got negotiation, social contract agreements, limited pay rises and effective
representation
- Co-determination Law passed in 1951 allowing workers to have reps on managerial boards
- Managed eco with low inflation and unemployment
with Answers
KEY - correct answers? - Theme 1 (Political and Governmental Change)
?? - Theme 2 (Opposition, Control and Consent)
??? - Theme 3 (Eco. development and policies)
???? - Theme 4 (Aspects of life)
What currency reforms were there and what effect did they have??? - Correct answers - Reich
mark replaced with Deutschmark 20th June 1948
- Private Citizens could exchange RM60 to DM40; wages were converted at DM1 to RM1
though savings were converted at RM1000 to DM6.5, debts to value of RM400 billion wiped out
- Authorities gave large deposits to banks to loan to businesses, industrial output increased 50%
- Erhard announces abolition of price controls and relaxation of rationing, prod. Had more
incentive to produce and farmers to send food to markets
- Tax reforms also took place with rate for DM 24000 falling to 18% in 1950 compared to the
85% it was at 1948
- Led to stimulation of economy, with more money to spend, demand increases stimulating
supply
- Absents reduced from 9.5 hrs to 2hrs per week, meaning more productivity
- 1950: industrial prod grew 25%; unemployment fell from 10.3% to 1.2 by 1960
- 1949 to 55 salaries increased 80%
What was the social market economy??? - Correct answers - Free market, end to
monopolies/cartels (few large companies control market), fairer tax system
- Middle way between completely free unregulated market and state-controlled
- Businesses allowed to develop independently while state ensured fair competition and
intervened to protect the vulnerable
What were the War Tribunals?? - Correct answers - Used to try former Nazis, generally halted
by March 1948 due to sheer number and complexity of cases
- Nuremburg trials consisted of 4 judges, from each Allied Power, trials started 20th November
1945 till October 1946
- 12 received death sentences, 7 prison terms from 10 years to life, 177 (out of possible pool of
5000) former military and civilian officials tried
- Further trials of endives. Connected to regime took place e.g. industrialist Crump
- In total 5000 were prosecuted, 486 executed
- Americans held 489 lower-level official trials 1416/1672 defendants found guilty
- French prosecuted 2000 former Nazis
, - Still most directly involved in war crimes escaped punishment e.g. Auschwitz doctor Josef
Mengele went into hiding/fled Germany
- In British zone 15 out of 45 acquitted due to plea of 'obeying orders'
What problems of de-Notification were there?? - Correct answers - April 1945 Hayman from
British zone declares that all citizens need to be investigated
- Americans sifted through 1.6 mill Fragebogen (questionnaires about activities during Nazi Rule
leading to be categorized into one of 5, ranging from Major Offender to Exonerated who got
Persil certificate) resulting in 374,000 former Nazis losing current posts, issue because:
◘ Cologne: serious problem with water supply with 18/21 specialists under investigation for
Nazi past, indispensable skills meant they soon returned to work
◘ Bonn: 102/112 doctors were former Nazis, past had to be ignored due to their medical skills
- Issue was mainly with those forced into joining Nazi associations to keep their jobs
- US listed 3.5 mill as answerable to charges, March 1946 local tribunals set up to undertake
cases, however 90% of legal professionals had been Nazi members leading to final year legal
students having to take over some cases in brutish zone
- Largely abandoned by 1950, 1949 FRG ended all investigations into civil servants
- 1951 Reinstatement Act allowed former Nazis to rejoin civil servants and judiciary
- Abandonment resulted in wide spread criticism esp. with Denair’s foreign ministry containing
39 foreign former Nazi Party members
- Vast majority quick1ly developed and maintained support for new democratic system
To what extent was the regime supported?? - Correct answers - Turnout for elections was high
ranging from 78.9% in 1949 to 91.1 in 1972
- Lack of support for extremist parties KPD came back as Communist Party of Germany (DKP
which did poorly in elections with a membership never more than 50,000
- Stable enough for new political developments such as arrival of Green Party in Bundestag in
1983
What was the welfare system like?? - Correct answers - Family welfare measures introduced
e.g. child benefits 1954
- Unemployment benefit
- Accident and sickness insurance
- Effective pension system
- Subsidies for house building, 1949-61, 6 mill flats built half classed as 'council'
What were industrial relations like?? - Correct answers - FRG embraced modern system with
inclusion of trade unions and good working conditions
- 1949 single umbrella organization formed for trade unions (German Federation of Trade
Unions) allowing got negotiation, social contract agreements, limited pay rises and effective
representation
- Co-determination Law passed in 1951 allowing workers to have reps on managerial boards
- Managed eco with low inflation and unemployment
