To what extent was Adenauer’s Chancellorship (West Germany FRG) Successful? (With Focus on the Legacy of the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich)

Both the legacies of the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich can be seen by many as factors which could have initially prevented Adenauer’s chancellorship from being a success due to the scepticism many had over a new democratic system and the effects of the Nazi reign. After the end of the First World War in 1918, the Germans themselves saw a defeat of the monarchy and the introduction of a new democracy, similar to what was being created in 1949, after the Third Reich’s reign. The Treaty of Versailles was seen as a particularly harsh treaty, which prevented the Weimar Republic from bring truly able to establish their own laws and controls as the harsh consequences implemented prevented this. However, the total defeat after 1945 can be seen as being a lot worse than this with continued occupation and massive losses of territory, making things a lot worse for Germany. The affects on the people, both physically, socially and psychologically, such as bereavement, hunger and the reintegration into civilian society occurred far more about the Second World War than it did after the first, causing major problems for Adenauer even before he came into control. However, the biggest problem Adenauer faced, before he even came into control, was the resentment many had towards democrats. Due to the Weimar Republic system, which