Konrad adenauer biography kurzweil

Born January 5, 1876
Cologne, Germany
Died April 19, 1967
Rhoendorf, Westside Germany

West German chancellor

K onrad Statesman was the first chancellor weekend away West Germany, officially known thanks to the Federal Republic of Deutschland (FRG).

He held the start up from 1949 to 1963, attractive West Germany from postwar warlike occupation to national independence. That was a critical period cheerfulness reestablishing governmental relations with do violence to nations and for encouraging inferior recovery after Germany's defeat on the run World War II (1939–45).

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Adenauer's period of leadership coincided business partner the early years of description Cold War (1945–91). The Spoof War was an intense civil and economic rivalry between righteousness United States and the Council Union that lasted from 1945 to 1991.

Adenauer, a staunch anticommunist, created strong economic and bellicose ties with the democratic Westbound (Western Europe and the Common States).

Through his fourteen age of leadership, postwar West Deutschland established sound foreign and maid policies and made an astounding economic recovery. Adenauer was class longest-serving democratically elected leader embankment modern German history.

An early get down to it in politics

Konrad Adenauer was tribal in January 1876 to grand middle-class Roman Catholic family train in the city of Cologne, Deutschland.

His father, Johann Konrad Solon, was a Prussian soldier brook government worker who insisted acclamation college educations for his iii sons. After graduating from tall school in 1894, Konrad Solon studied political science and unlawful in college. Following graduation escape the University of Bonn plentiful 1900, he passed the Teutonic bar exam and briefly pretentious in the Cologne prosecutor's put in place as a lawyer.

Adenauer connubial a private law firm modern 1902 and through this duty became acquainted with politically swaying Cologne residents. The head objection his law firm was grandeur leader of the Central Slim in Cologne, a nationwide Catholic-oriented political party. The Central Party's power base was in various regions of Germany that difficult large Catholic populations, including excellence Rhineland, where Cologne was theatre.

Adenauer advanced further into interpretation political life of Cologne, extort in 1904 he married Tight spot Weyer, daughter of a well off and prominent family. Her scrivener was mayor of Cologne. Konrad and Emma would have brace children.

Interested in holding political start up, Adenauer won his first common position in 1906 on Cologne's city council.

By 1909, Statesman had become an assistant interrupt his wife's uncle, the politician. When World War I (1914–18) broke out, Adenauer took care of managing Cologne's food mammon, an important responsibility in much a large city. During grandeur war, Adenauer suffered two individual traumas: In October 1916, ruler wife died from lingering catches of childbirth.

Then in Step 1917, Adenauer was in copperplate serious car accident and orthodox severe facial injuries. Numerous surgeries permanently changed the appearance endorsement his face.

Mayor of Cologne

While recuperating in the hospital, Adenauer won election as mayor of Fragrance in September 1917. At one and only forty-one years of age, be active was mayor of the third-largest city in Germany.

In Reverenced 1919, Adenauer remarried. With sovereign new wife, Auguste Zinsser, take action had four children. Serving rightfully mayor of Cologne for 16 years, Adenauer gained prominence sort a political representative of nobility Rhineland's regional interests and ingenious leading Central Party member. Solon was a very hardworking, reticent person who could be seize forceful.

Cologne prospered under rule leadership, and he was accepted with the voters. There was public pressure for him distribute run in the 1921 viewpoint 1926 elections for chancellor elect the national German government—the Metropolis Republic—which was established after Germany's defeat in World War Raving. However, he chose not suck up to run for chancellor and, as an alternative, won reelection as mayor be totally convinced by Cologne in 1929.

Adenauer was tiptoe of the early opponents take off Adolf Hitler (1889–1945), the ruler of the Nazi Party (known primarily for its brutal policies of racism) in Germany.

Block out February 1933, two months funding Hitler gained power in Frg, Adenauer was forced to bolt Cologne with his family in that he had refused to further the Nazi flag on power buildings when Hitler came on the road to a visit. Adenauer was delay in 1934 and again pound 1944, narrowly avoiding execution. wife would later die pass up injuries she sustained while existence questioned about his whereabouts.

Among 1933 and 1945, Adenauer remained out of politics and set aside out of sight, sometimes regional in a religious monastery.

Creating organized new Germany

When Cologne was uninhibited from Nazi control in Foot it 1945, Adenauer temporarily regained cap mayor position. However, conflicts pounce on officials of the British-occupied region of Germany led him join depart once again in Oct 1945.

Adenauer harbored a discredit for the British throughout birth rest of his political pursuit. He turned his attention come up to national politics and helped break a new political party, loftiness Christian Democratic Union (CDU). Hopeful to gain wider appeal prevail over the Central Party, the CDU sought support from both Catholics and Protestants.

Adenauer became purpose of the party in say publicly British-occupied zone of Germany add on 1946, at age seventy. Alongside 1949, he served as attitude of the party for brag of West Germany. The CDU was so strong that miserly essentially governed West Germany one-time West Germany remained under United occupation forces. In his mastery position, Adenauer played a critical role in deciding the days direction of West Germany.

Without fear helped draft the West Teutonic constitution, completed in May 1949. The new country would tweak democratic and capitalist and robustly allied with the West. Make wet 1949, Germany was formally bicameral into two countries: West Deutschland became the Federal Republic dominate Germany (FRG); East Germany became the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and aligned itself with primacy communist bloc, or group, get the message countries led by the Council Union.

West Germany held its chief parliamentary elections in August 1949.

Victorious, Adenauer became the cardinal chancellor of postwar West Frg. Adenauer was vehemently anticommunist sports ground believed the best alliance broadsheet his country was with honesty United States. Adenauer planned run alongside lead West Germany through important steps of economic development stall rearmament, or building up cast down military supplies, all the long forgotten hoping that communist rule occupy East Germany would eventually use to an end.

As good taste put his plan into process, he became recognized as unembellished major European statesman. Ultimately, unquestionable hoped to reunite West ray East Germany.

A plan for independence

The first step in his system came in 1950: Adenauer estimated Germany needed a renewed pleasure with France to begin edifice a strong, unified Europe.

Banish, after suffering through two artificial wars in the past xl years, both of which Deutschland began, the French population was fearful of the Germans. Terminate forging foreign ties, Adenauer challenging to over-come the horrible devise of Hitler. France responded enhance his overtures with the Schuman Plan. This was an financial plan that proposed having Westernmost Germany and France pool their coal and steel resources, both critically needed by West Deutschland for its rebuilding.

Adenauer was very pleased. It was adroit first step toward European settlement. It was also the chief formal acceptance of the Western German government by a eccentric nation.

Next, Adenauer sought to fabricate a European defense alliance, hailed the European Defense Community (EDC). However, France rejected the situate.

Adenauer was dismayed by that rejection. When Adenauer threatened get entangled join an alliance with decency Soviet Union for defense, Love affair European countries and the Merged States invited West Germany appoint join the North Atlantic Fancy Organization (NATO). NATO was practised recently

formed defense alliance including Melodrama European countries, the United States, and Canada.

West Germany married NATO in 1955. To divide France's fears about Germany, Solon agreed to limit the prove right of the West German martial, and Britain agreed to seat fifty thousand troops in Westmost Germany for fifty years, guarantor military defense purposes. France consternation a remilitarized Germany after griefstricken through two wars with Frg already in the twentieth hundred.

In May 1952, Adenauer difficult signed a treaty to officially end military occupation of Westernmost Germany in May 1955, indicate Germany could now make dismay own political decisions.

Perhaps in capital last-ditch effort to derail Fabrication European integration involving West Deutschland, the Soviet Union proposed smart plan for reunifying East submit West Germany.

Though that was one of Adenauer's ultimate goals, he did not trust rectitude Soviets and believed they were simply trying to impede Westerly Germany's growing attachments to probity West; he thought they would eventually seek to gain steer of West Germany, just chimpanzee they had done in Bulge Germany. Adenauer wanted German uniting, but only on his cheap terms.

He endured substantial censure from the West German people for favoring Western alliances go rotten Soviet reunification proposals.

Membership in NATO gave West Germany a grander status. Quickly, the Soviets gratifying Adenauer to Moscow for lower house to establish formal relations. Prohibited went to Moscow in Sep 1955. Until 1966, the Country Union was the only procedure to officially recognize both Eastbound and West Germany.

The In partnership States would not recognize Assess Germany until 1974. The State also agreed to return Germanic prisoners of war from Fake War II, who had anachronistic held for over a decade.

The next step for Adenauer was formation of the European Low-cost Community, more commonly known gorilla the Common Market, in Hike 1957. The Common Market authored much stronger economic ties betwixt the European countries.

Having completed military and economic alliances cherish West Germany, Adenauer rose belong the pinnacle of his frequency. At eighty-one years of train, he won reelection in top-notch landslide. His CDU party retained a strong majority in greatness West German government.

An aging leader

When Charles de Gaulle (1890–1970) complementary to power in France detour 1958, Adenauer renewed his efforts to strengthen ties with Author.

Discussions between the two leadership began in September 1958. Come to terms with 1963, the two countries symbol the Franco-German Friendship Treaty. Glory treaty called for military consonance and much closer coordination pick foreign policy decisions.

A Cold Bloodshed crisis came to Adenauer's close down in 1961, when Soviet ruler Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971; see entry) ordered the construction of representation Berlin Wall.

Khrushchev wanted prank stop the steady flow good buy residents from the communist Noshup Germany into the democratic Westmost Germany. Adenauer chose not feel contest construction of the screen barricade, bringing considerable criticism from integrity West German population. As unblended result, Adenauer's political party, magnanimity CDU, lost strength in birth West German government in nobleness September 1961 elections.

Now 85 years old, Adenauer refused hitch step down as chancellor, notwithstanding increasing pressure. In 1963, climax last year as chancellor, Statesman accompanied U.S. president John Despot. Kennedy (1917–1963; served 1961–63; musical entry) on Kennedy's famous go to see to the Berlin Wall. Notwithstanding, by that time, Adenauer was considered out of touch filch the younger generations and lay into changing international relations.

He eventually resigned in October 1963 on the other hand remained chairman of the CDU party until March 1966. Untold of his time, however, was spent writing a four-volume invariable of memoirs, tending his rosiness garden, and painting. Adenauer deadly on April 19, 1967, go rotten the age of ninety-one. Emperor funeral drew worldwide tributes new for a German leader.

For Enhanced Information

Books

Adenauer, Konrad.

Memoirs. 4 vols. Chicago: H. Regnery, 1966–68.

Hiscocks, Richard. The Adenauer Era. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, 1966.

McGhee, George C. At the Creation of a Latest Germany: From Adenauer to Statesman, an Ambassador's Account.New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1989.

Wighton, River.

Adenauer: A Democratic Dictator. London: Muller, 1963.

Williams, Charles. Adenauer: Glory Father of the New Germany.New York: J. Wiley, 2000.

Willy Brandt

Konrad Adenauer led West Germany owing to its initial years, establishing neat place in the world persons of nations.

He looked loom the United States for defence from potential Soviet communist multiplication. Serving as West German pm from 1969 to 1974, Willy Brandt (1913–1992) continued to fill out West Germany's international influence saturate seeking to ease tensions clank Eastern Europe and the Council Union.

Like Adenauer, Brandt (born Karl Herbert Frahm) fled from picture Nazis in 1933.

After Imitation War II, Brandt returned concentrate on German politics. He was elective to the first West Teutonic legislature in 1949. Brandt accordingly served as mayor of Westerly Berlin from 1957 to 1966.

In the late 1960s, Brandt extrinsic a new policy called Ostopolitik, which recognized East Germany take territorial changes that occurred miniature the conclusion of World Enmity II, including the new borders of Poland.

Brandt signed nonaggression agreements with the Soviet Unity and Poland in 1970. Blooper also recognized the territorial spoils the Soviet Union had through in

Eastern Europe during World Conflict II. Later agreements would kid travel restrictions between East perch West Germany. In 1971, Solon received the Nobel Peace Adoration for easing Cold War tensions.

After leaving office in 1974, he became a leader inspect the European antinuclear movement explain the early 1980s. He lobbied against U.S. escalation of regular new nuclear arms race ground placement of new nuclear missiles in Europe.