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The SPD after Brandt’s Fall–Change or Continuity?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2014

William Paterson
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Extract

THE RESULT OF THE FEDERAL ELECTION OF NOVEMBER I972 APPEARED to many as a turning point in the post-war history of the German Social Democratic Party. For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic, the SPD. was the largest party winning 45.9 per cent of the list votes (230 seats in the Bundestag) to the CDU/CSU's 44.8 per cent (225 seats). In 1957 the Christian Democratic Union/Christian Social Union had enjoyed a lead of 18.4 per cent over the SPD. This lead was steadily whittled away after the party adopted the moderate Bad Godesberg Programme in 1959. The SPD gained 4.4 per cent in 1961,3. 1 per cent in 1965, 3.4 per cent in 1969 and 3.2 per cent in 1972

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Articles
Information
Government and Opposition , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , 01 April 1975 , pp. 167 - 188
Copyright
Copyright © Government and Opposition Ltd 1975

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References

1 In 1960 at the conference in which he was confirmed as Chancellor candidate he only came twenty‐first in the elections to the Executive. Douglas Chalmers also found considerable suspicion among party members at that time. Chalmers, Viz. D. A., The Social Democratic Party of Germany—From Working Class Movement to Modem Political Party, Yale University Press, 1964, p. 154.Google Scholar

2 Die Zeit, 17 November 1972.

3 Infas Poll cited in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 23 November 1972.

4 Brandt, W., Über Jen Tag hinaus, Hamburg, Hoffmann and Campe Verlag, 1974, pp. 57–81.Google Scholar

5 Irving, Viz. R. E. M. and Paterson, W. E., ‘The West German Parliamentary Election of November 1972’, Parliamentary Affairs, 1973, p. 232.Google Scholar

6 Eppler was a member of Gustav Heinemann’s party, the GVP and followed Heinemann into the SPD. On the political values of the GVP see Dieter Koch’s outstanding work Heinemann und die Deutschland Frage, Chr. Kaiser Verlag, Munich, 1972.

7 R. E. M. Irving and W. E. Paterson, op. cit., p. 231, for further details.

8 Infas calculated that 86 per cent of the SPD’s industrial working‐class voters remained loyal to the party in 1972 compared with 72 per cent of the CDU/CSU’s.

9 Zundel, Cited Rolf, ‘Das Kreuz der Wähler’, Die Zeit, 24 11, 1972.Google Scholar

10 Ibid.

11 Ibid.

12 W. Brandt, op. cit., pp. 51–2.

13 Die Zeit, 5 October 1973.

14 ‘Der Wind bläst Brandt ins Gesicht’, E. Noelle‐Neumann in Die Zeit, 23 November 1973.

15 ‘Angst und Sorge wählen CDU/CSU,’Der Spiegel, 15 April 1974.

16 Ibid., p. 42.

17 Die Zeit, 15 April 1974.

18 Ibid.

19 Ibid.

20 Der Spiegel, 15 April 1974.

21 Jahrbuch der SPD, 1970–72, p. 305.

22 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 27 March 1973.

23 Süddeutsche Zeitung, 5 September 1973.

24 Frankfurter Allgemeine, Zeitung, 8 September 1973.

25 Die Welt, 15 October 1973.

26 Die Zeit, 5 April 1974.

27 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 5 April 1974.

28 Die Zeit, 12 April 1974, 26 April 1974.

29 Kuölnische Rundschau, 26 February 1974.

30 W. Brandt, op. cit.

31 Television Declaration, 8 May 1974.

32 Der Spiegel, 9 September 1974.

33 Ibid.

34 Viz Heide Wieczorek‐Zeul interview in Deutsche Zeitung, 17 May 1974, entitled ‘Der Zwang zur Solidaritat’. See also Die Welt, 4 June 1974, and Binder, Sepp ‘Vormarsch der Godesberger’, Die Zeit, 20 09 1974.Google Scholar

35 Die Welt, 13 June 1974.

36 Die Zeit, 12 July 1974.

37 Die Zeit, 22 November 1974.

38 Frankfurter Rundschau, 12 June 1974.

39 See especially Spiegel articles 9 September 1974 and 16 September 1974.

40 Pulzer, P., ‘The German Party System in the Sixties’, Political Studies, 03 1971, P. 13.Google Scholar

41 Interview with member of the SPD Fraktion, June 1974.

42 I.e. Georg Leber (Defence), Walter Arendt (Labour). Helmut Röhde. (Education), Kurt Gscheidle (Traffic and Post), Hans Matthöfer (Research).

43 Gesetzentwurf über Mitbestimmung in Grossunternehmen—Beschluss des Bundeskabinetts von 20 February 1974.

44 Der Spiegel, 25 February 1974; Süddeutsche Zeitung, 20 March 1974; Frankfurter Rundschau, 8 April 1974.

45 Noelle‐Neumann, E., ‘FDP Heimat der Gegensätze’, Die Zeit, 4 10 1974.Google Scholar

46 W. E. Paterson, The SPD and European Integration, D.C. Heath, Farnborough, 1974.

47 Based on conversation with Klaus Schütz, Governing Mayor of West Berlin, October 1972.

48 Viz Paterson, op. cit., p. 150.

49 W. Brandt, Aussenpolitik, Deutschlandpolitik, Europapolitik, Berlin, 1968, p. 85.

50 W. Brandt, Bundeskanzler Brandt—Reden und Interviews, Bonn, 1969, p. 47.

51 Ibid., pp. 47–54.

52 Das Parlament, 27 January 1973.

53 Cited Juliet Lodge, The European Policy of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, M.Phil., Reading, 1974, p. 98.

54 In this sense Brandt’s unfortunate suggestion of a differential rate of integration of 21 November 1974 was typical of his desire to both have his cake and eat it.

55 For the statement that Brandt would concern himself with Europe viz. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, 30 May 1974. For the statement on differential rates of integration see The Times, 22 November 1974.

56 Interview with Keith Kyle, broadcast on BBC TV, 20 May 1974, transcript p. 11.

57 Die Zeit, 17 May 1974.

58 Unpublished speech at Chatham House 29 January 1974, unofficial transcript, p. 13.

59 Die Zeit, 11 May 1974.

60 The Scotsman, 6 July 1974; Die Zeit, 25 October 1974.

61 Paterson, W. E., ‘Foreign Policy and Stability in West Germany’, International Affairs, 07 1973, pp. 413–30CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Roberts, G. K., ‘The West German Parties and the Ostpolitik,’ Government and Opposition, Autumn 1972, pp. 434–49.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

62 Der Spiegel, 15 April 1974.

63 Die Welt, 22 May 1974.

64 Bundeskanzler Schmidt, ‘Kontinuität und Konzentration’, Regier‐ungserklärung vom 17 May 1974.