These revision notes provide an in depth summary of this specific chapter of AQA History in the Study of The quest for political stability: Germany, 1871–1991. They can be used directly as lecture notes or can be reduced further to more of a summary of the topic.
History Revision – Extra-Parliamentary opposition (19)
- The 1970’s saw the emergence of LW political extremism as the ultra-radical fringes of
the 1960’s student movement turned to terrorism
- By late 1970’s extra-parliamentary pressure had re-focused itself in the peace and
environmental movements which, in the 1980’s, had formed the core of a new political
force – The Green Party
Student protest
- RW dissent grew in W Gr in mid 1960’s with the onset of economic depression
- However, the neo-Nazi NPD failed to make any significant electoral breakthrough
- The most widespread dissent occurred on the left, in parallel with wider LW student
protest throughout the W world
- Young Gr’s having grown up in a highly regulated and largely authoritarian society,
began to question the values of the state and of their parents
- For many of this generation, Gr seemed to be an ‘economic giant, but a political dwarf’
o Rich in terms of wealth
o Poor in terms of political consciousness
Sparks for student protests:
- Major expansion in higher education provoked criticisms of overcrowding, poor
teaching and RW bias
o Many professors and lecturers in eyes of students, seemed to be relics of past
- Development of a youth culture predicated on affluence provoked an opposite reaction
from many LW students critical of the shallowness of the middle-class W Gr values
- Anti-Vietnam War protests in USA manifested themselves in W Gr as protests vs
Americanisation of Gr culture and criticisms of US failing to prevent division of Berlin
- Many LW Gr students were encouraged to activism by the neo-Marxist view that a
society made by people could be changed by people
- Formation of Grand Coalition in 1966 seemed to confirm the worst fears of many
Young Gr’s that true parliamentary opposition was disappearing
The APO – Opposition Outside of Parliament
- Was a loose alliance of LW students, trade unionists and intellectuals
- Aims was to co-ordinate radical protests through strikes and demonstrations with the
goal of making W Gr a more open, tolerant and free society
- Was hugely idealistic, motivated by the seeming disappearance of true parliamentary
debate, given that the two main political parties were now in a grand coalition
- In view of the APO, effective in parliament opposition to the government no longer
operated, hence need to take to streets
- High point of movement was in 1968 with extensive campaigning against the
Emergency Laws
- Movement declined towards end of the decade as membership fractured, some
supported attracted to SPD by Brandt’s victory, some to the Com Party (DKP) and
some moved into the emerging environmental movement
The SDS – Gr Socialist Students Union
- Originally affiliated to SPD, SDS was expelled in 1961 because of its opposition to Gr
rearmament, which SPD had accepted in its Bad Godesbery conversion in 1959
- Most well-known leader was Rudi Dutschke
- SDS was fundamental part of the wider APO movement, taking lead in street protests
Urban Terrorism – The Red Army Faction (RAF)
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