Adenauer Konrad: quotes, aphorisms, sayings, short biography, domestic and foreign policy

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:41

Among the world famous politicians, Adenauer Konrad deserves attention. The statements of this outstanding person have become winged and are popular even today. “We all live under the same sky, but everyone has a different horizon,” said the ex-Chancellor of Germany, making every effort to create a new level of Germany.

The path to the post of head of state

Being the head of state for almost fifteen years, Adenauer Konrad set specific goals for himself and the country. Its main task was the complete rejection of Germany's prevailing class domination. He wanted to create a completely new social order, which was supposed to be based on Christian religious ethics. In his opinion, every citizen has the right to take the initiative to use their own chance to achieve a specific result in any area of life.

Thanks to the wise and balanced political decisions of Konrad Adenauer, the country,managed by him, quickly recovered from the consequences of the war that shook the whole world.

When he came to power in 1949, he had at that time enough managerial experience in matters of national importance. Since 1917, he served as the mayor of the city of Cologne, combining it with the duties of chairman of the Prussian State Council. In addition, a feature of his great position was the rejection of the Nazi regime of Hitler. This was the main reason for leaving his posts in 1933, when a native of the National Socialist Party became the Chancellor of Germany. Uncompromisingly not accepting the new leader and his philosophy, Adenauer Konrad opposed Hitler's power, which was being strengthened at a rapid pace.

Implacable enemy of the Nazi regime

One of the cases with his direct participation outraged the main Nazi of the entire world community so much that the latter declared his subordinate an enemy of the Third Reich. During the planned visit of the Reich Chancellor to the city of Cologne, where Adenauer held the highest leadership position, the deputy chief burgomaster met the head of state. Defiantly refusing to meet with the leader of the fascist-German charter, Konrad also ordered the removal of all posted Nazi attributes, in particular flags. Such demonstrative disdain has drawn particular attention from the authorities.

Looking ahead a bit, it should be noted that Konrad Adenauer,whose biography contains information about two arrests by the Gestapo in 1934 and in 1944, as an implacable opponent of Hitler, the entire war period passed.

The coming to power of the Christian idealist Adenauer

After the resounding capitulation of Germany, when the repressions from the supporters of the fascist system of government were stopped, and it itself collapsed, Adenauer, together with the adherents of his political vision, founded the Christian Democratic Union, becoming some time later, in 1946, the presiding center the person of this public association. The difficult path traveled and rich experience in a leadership position led to the fact that three years later, none other than Adenauer Konrad was appointed Federal Chancellor of Germany. Quotes from his speeches can often be heard from influential public figures of the present time, because his positions serve as an eternal example and model of sovereign governance.

Despite the authoritarianism and rigidity of his chosen style of power, the West German chancellor was loved and enjoyed extraordinary popularity among the population. A strong-willed and pragmatic, often skeptical, deeply religious idealist, who was Adenauer Konrad, was briefly popularly called "old". “If Christ is not alive today, then the world has no hope at all. Only the fact of the resurrection gives hope for the future,” the German chancellor believed. From this it becomes clear why he made all his politically important decisions, listening to faith and conscience.

Personal freedom is a priority of politics

Consideringthe fundamental principles of the country's leadership, which Konrad Adenauer resorted to, Germany's foreign policy was built in the direction of a market economy, fundamental for developing states. Post-war new Europe, he said, was looking forward to the emergence of a new Germany. In addition, the Federal Chancellor was inclined to believe that the separation of statehood from the economic component of Germany would preserve the personal freedoms of citizens.

In the case of concentration of all powers and rights of complete power in the hands of state bodies, there is an unprecedented risk of limiting, and in the future, suppression of individual opportunities. At the same time, Adenauer Konrad did not exclude partial intervention in the sphere of the economy by state managers, but this should have been only the fulfillment of the obligatory function of control.

International relations of Germany with other states

One way or another, Germany had to bear the burden of guilt for a long time and repent for the global harm done on an international scale. Therefore, the main vector of the chancellor's efforts was to settle the unresolved conflict in order to lift most of the restrictions imposed on the country. Helping his people to realize the feeling of guilt for being involved in the commission of crimes against humanity by the Nazis, he contributed to the fact that the situation developed according to a scenario favorable to the guilty party.

Gradually, the balance of the geopolitical position of Germany between countriesWestern and Eastern Europe, which Adenauer Konrad sought for many years.

Aphorisms, famous phrases, quotes from the statements of the German leader of the middle years of the 20th century are even now used in case of class or national disagreements. “Germans are Belgians suffering from megalomania… A Prussian is a Slav who has forgotten who his grandfather was…” Adenauer, who advocated European integration, often said. Through his efforts, ties with France were strengthened, which during the Second World War acted as an open opponent of Hitler and all of Nazi Germany. The main difficulties in establishing relations were removed by the signing of the Paris Peace Treaty. As planned by the chancellor, in the near future the German people were to become a federal part of the United States of Europe, the European unity of peoples without borders. Germany joined NATO as an equal member in 1955.

Germany's relations with the Soviet Union during the chancellor's time

An important point in describing aspects of the foreign policy pursued by the chancellor was his dislike for the socialism of the Soviets. He believed that totalitarianism as a method of government can only be inherent in anti-Christian countries. Power politics and extreme measures, which the USSR repeatedly resorted to throughout history, formed Adenauer's negative attitude towards this non-religious state.

In 1955, an important event took place in the relationship between the two powers. The USSR, having officially recognized the existence of an independent Germany, opened the way for the establishment of diplomatic agreements.

Soon, Konrad Adenauer arrived in Moscow to negotiate the release of about 40 thousand prisoners of war of the fascist army. A brief biography of the chancellor confirms the fact of the conversation that took place between him and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the USSR Molotov. During the conversation, the Soviet minister repeatedly tried to humiliate Adenauer, once again blaming Germany for the harm done to the whole world. To which the head of Germany managed to adequately retort: “And who signed the agreement with Hitler, me or you?”

Adenauer's ban on communist activities

Probably, there is nothing surprising in the fact that Konrad Adenauer became the person who banned the activities of the Communist Party in his state. The internal policy of the country, pursued by the chancellor, proceeded from the advantages received as a result of the split of Germany into Western and Eastern. According to his plan, it was necessary first of all to unite the categories of people of different faiths, in particular, the predominant number of Catholics and Protestants presented a great difficulty. The Christian Democratic Union Party, created three years before he took office as head of the FRG, has become the main political stronghold for industrialists and intellectuals, who are the main driving force in Germany's socio-economic development.

Support for the Jewish people

Restoring favorable conditions for Jewish residents in Germany - Konrad Adenauer also made every possible effort to this. A brief biography of the chancellor speaks of repeated visits to Israel andstriving to maintain warm diplomatic relations with local authorities. Trying to compensate for at least a tiny part of the incredible damage for the genocide of Jews and the Holocaust, the head of Germany signed an agreement on the annual payment of reparations to Israel in the amount of 1.5 billion dollars. Gradually, with confident steps, Adenauer Konrad achieved his goal: he managed to restore the former glory of the German people. As a sign of respect and in memory of the deceased, Ben Gurion, the founder of Israel, also arrived in 1967 to see off the Chancellor on his last journey.

The heyday of Germany under Chancellor Konrad Adenauer

The main achievement in the internal affairs of the state, which was achieved by Konrad Adenauer, the German Chancellor, historians consider the "economic miracle".

The implementation of truly radical reforms in all spheres of the country's life has completely changed the position of Germany in the international arena. Now the inhabitants of the "renewed" Germany had the same social guarantees as the population of other advanced states of that time. Attention was paid to helping children and the disabled, pensions increased several times. The financial reform had a positive impact on the development of industrial production. The introduction of a new currency (“Deutschmark”) and the abolition of price controls is a huge breakthrough in the development of the country's economic component.

Conclusion

Being already quite advanced in age at the height of his fame, Konrad Adenauer decided to voluntarily resign as Chancellor of Germany in 1963.

No wonder historians and political scientists call him a "political architect". He managed to create a new worthy democratic entity from a failed state.