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.
Nazi Ideology - AQA A-level History - 1L Germany 1871 - 1991
‘Bismarck successfully controlled the political opposition he faced in the years 1871-1890’. To what extent do you agree with this statement? - Full Essay
All for this textbook (28)
Written for
A/AS Level
AQA
History
Unit 1 - Change and Consolidation (7042)
All documents for this subject (53)
6
reviews
By: zuzannastachowicz66 • 4 months ago
By: jemimaruthtugwell • 1 year ago
By: Erin2105 • 2 year ago
By: mariadavid • 2 year ago
By: adampeach • 3 year ago
By: sanafjamal • 4 year ago
Seller
Follow
callumgallagher
Reviews received
Content preview
History Revision – The Drive to reunification (22)
The situation in E Gr
- All E Gr’s had known their system was corrupt
- They were aware former leader Erich Honecker and his followers had luxury homes,
luxury cars etc however, extent of corruption amongst even minor officials was
staggering
- Fear in W Gr politics was that outpouring of anger against state officials would become
outpouring of popular fury turning ‘peaceful revolution’ into wave of bloody retribution
- Speed of events following opening of Ber wall surprised everyone
- Nobody in November 1989 could envisage how quickly momentum for reunification
would pick up
Causes of E Gr collapse
- Matter of debate whether the GDR was doomed to fail from the beginning
- Not key to know but good to have idea – Not on course but good extra knowledge
- GDR living on borrowed time ever since Ber wall built – if couldn’t hold onto citizens
without locking them in, it would never survive
- Collapse of Com in E EU and policies of Gorbachev in Soviet Union
- As momentum shifted towards détente, E-W relations
- Civic revolution in the GDR – shows SED’s refusal to tolerate loyal criticism meant
critics had little alternative but a revolution from below
- Ostpolitik
- Opening border between Hung and Austria May 1989
o Meant E Gr’s could travel to W via Hungary – opened the floodgates
- Once borders opened there seemed little prospect the GDR could survive
- Civil unrest, Soviet regime willing to intervene and swelling emigration was the perfect
storm
Role of Helmut Kohl
- Unification long way from minds of E Gr’s who voiced dissent in Autumn 1989
- Groups within the Civic Movement wanted to deal with shortcomings in the GDR
o Wanted public debate and democratic decision making by a responsible and
accountable government
What they got was unification with the Capitalist West
- This occurred largely due to the energetic intervention of Kohl
- In 1989 Kohl’s chancellorship wasn’t progressing, with political scandal and growing
support for both R and L
- Political and economic problems resulting from collapse of E Gr government authority
threatened to push both E and W Gr into crisis
- Most significant problem was the dire economic state of the GDR
- From summer 89, GDR citizens continued to leave for the W for better material
prospects
o Was becoming clear the GDR couldn’t survive economically on its own for long
Loss of skilled labour
Disruption of production
Collapse of local administration
Social and psychological impact of collapse
o All contributed to growing crisis in GDR which government couldn’t control
Also other factors pushing Kohl into action besides economic meltdown:
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller callumgallagher. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $4.81. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
