Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://dspace.auca.kg/handle/123456789/674
Title: Defending Democracy: post war Germany and extremist heritage
Authors: Kim, Olesya
Issue Date: May-2011
Abstract: In my paper I aimed to answer the question: What measures had been taken to replace extremist heritage to democratic values in postwar Germany? It was extremely difficult task for German Nation as Germany was almost destroyed after war. Almost 8 million Nazis left after war in Germany1 who according to Daniel Goldhagen were voluntary followed Hitler’s ideology. Therefore, rightwing extremism had racist, antiSemitic elements in Germany. It is governed by the idea that ethnic affiliation with a nation or race determines the value of a human being, thus rejecting principle equality which is specified in Article 3 of the Basic Law. Moreover right wing extremism called for an authoritarian political system.2 Thus, rightwing extremism created serious challenge to Democracy. Moreover, state faced numerous problems related to the German political culture and mentality as people supported rightwing parties and their Nazi ideology which created difficulties in implanting Democracy both in state and society. To compound, strong right wing extremist parties such as NPD, DVU and the Republicaner which heritage from Hitler’s NSDAP party provided rightwing representation and political accountability for government action. Those parties weren’t considered as anticonstitution and, thus, could be freely elected and could use freely media, speech and assembly. And such situation made difficult to defend and build Democracy in such harsh conditions. My research shows how Germany has been building its Democracy and how has been changing social values to democratic ones. In my paper I mostly analyzed how West Germany achieved its goals because there were no organized rightwing parties in East Germany until Unification. Western Allied forcers (USA, UK and France) immediately initiated 4d programs after war in order to denizify and democratize FRG. However, their 4D, the Educational programs (to compound German protestant churches initiated Stuttgart declaration of Guilt) weren’t effective as German people were to busy with housing and food problems, also they didn’t see prosperous of Democracy because First German Democracy was connected with humiliation and chaos. But, Germans accepted Democracy as Allied forcers had supreme power over them. And eventually, people realized all advantageous of Democracy. The first result of such social transformation was the National Election in 1965 where NPD didn’t get enough votes to enter Bundestag. Western Allied also dealt with the serious treat posed to Democratic stability by NPD, DVU and the Republicaner. Their platforms were elimination the existing democratic of Germany, saving culture of Germany, rejecting multiculturalism and est. German state undertook some measures against rightwing extremist parties such as legal and judiciary, controls; intelligence and administrative controls; educational controls and civil society control. Moreover, Germany made it difficult for extremist parties to enter Parliament as they must reach 5% hurdle to achieve its goals. As the result none of rightwing extremist parties have overcome this barrier. Germany laid foundation for a stable Democracy in Germany through German Constitutions in 1949.3 Country took into consideration its past experience in Weimar Republic and made some amendments such as articles such as 21.1, 21.2; 1; 20; 79.3, 9.2 and 18 according to which Democracy can resist the threat of rightwing extremist parties. Those defense articles allows Federal Bureu for the Protection of Constitution (BfVS), Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution ( Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz (BfV)), State Offices for the Protection of the Constitution (Landesämter für Verfassungsschutz (LfV), Federal Ministry of the Interior and The Federal Criminal Law to guard German Democracy. Therefore, recent research shows that there are no more than 15% dangerous organized extremist parties in Germany.
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/674
Appears in Collections:Department of European Studies

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