The Impact of Reunification
- Created by: yazmintaylorx
- Created on: 26-04-18 10:11
View mindmap
- The Impact of Reunification
- Economic
- Strengths
- real income in East rose c28% 1989-1991
- 175,000 new businesses founded
- investment programme launched March 1991
- new roads, phone lines & shopping centres
- railways upgrades & buildings renovated or replaced
- govt. money put into housing, agriculture, service & industrial infrastructure
- Weaknesses
- E.G. GNP fell 13.4% 1990 & another 20% 1991
- growing unemployment
- hit women hardest
- esp. those reliant on state childcare
- hit women hardest
- West & EEC competition hit areas suffering structural long-term unemployment
- currency union too hasty & rates too high
- many failing industries collapsed
- industrial production fell 2/3 in 2 yers
- Strengths
- Political
- Strengths
- Dec 1990 - first all German free election since Nov 1932
- FDP emerged in a stronger position (created CDU/CSU coalition) & was the financial support for Kohl's policies
- smaller parties appeared & became more influential
- extreme RW failed to win sufficient votes to win a seat
- Weaknesses
- communists returned for the first time since 1949
- reunif. aid didn't help SPD who performed poorly
- green party lost out & won no seats
- FDP in less strong position as party that preserved balance of power
- PDS became a new force
- Strengths
- Social
- Strengths
- new encouragement of free thinking
- in 6 months 21% E.G. had moved to new job, 8% unemployed & 10% early retirement
- developed industry/modernised. efficientcy increased
- younger gen. adopted new attitude, initiative, drive, competition & responsibilty
- communist political sympathisers lost positions in judiciary/education & was reformed along democratic, Western lines
- more liberal/free society
- Weaknesses
- increased racism directed at Gastarbeiter & asylum seekers
- rising crime rates & youth delinquency
- hard to change older generations attitude
- 40 years of communist propaganda, traits e.g. compliance, passivity & withdrawal
- new 'free' standards turned bored teens into skinheads & disillusioned adults into criminals
- solidarity tax - resented by all Germans
- living standards did not immediately rise to those of W.G.
- less need for manual labour which hit female employment
- Strengths
- Economic
Comments
No comments have yet been made