Helmut Schmidt
Encyclopedia
Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt (ˈhɛlmʊt ˈʃmɪt; born 23 December 1918) is a German
Social Democratic
politician
who served as Chancellor of West Germany
from 1974 to 1982. Prior to becoming chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting Foreign Minister. He is the oldest surviving German Chancellor and the last surviving person to have been solely Chancellor of West Germany (Helmut Kohl
was Chancellor of both West Germany and reunified Germany). He is also the oldest Federal German Minister surviving after the death of his Interior Minister Werner Maihofer
.
, as son of two teachers. He studied at Hamburg Lichtwark School, graduating in 1937. He was conscripted into military service and began serving with an anti-aircraft
battery at Vegesack near Bremen during World War II
. After brief service on the Eastern Front
he returned to Germany in 1942 to work as a trainer and advisor at the Reichsluftfahrtministerium
. Also in 1942, on 27 June, he married his childhood sweetheart Hannelore "Loki" Glaser
(3 March 1919 – 21 October 2010), with whom he fathered two children: Helmut Walter (26 June 1944–February 1945, died of meningitis
), and Susanne (b. 1947), who works in London
for Bloomberg Television
. Toward the end of the war, from December 1944 onwards, he served as an Oberleutnant
in the artillery on the Western Front
. He was captured by the British in April 1945 on Lüneburg Heath
and was a prisoner of war
until August. During his service in World War II Schmidt was awarded the Iron Cross
.
Schmidt's father was the illegitimate son of a German Jewish businessman, although this was kept secret in the family. This was confirmed publicly by Helmut Schmidt in 1984, after Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
had, apparently with Schmidt's assent, revealed the fact to journalists. Schmidt himself is a non-practicing Lutheran
.
Schmidt completed his education in Hamburg, studying economics
and political science
. He graduated in 1949.
(SPD) in 1946, and from 1947 to 1948 was leader of the Sozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund
, the then-student organisation of the SPD.
Upon leaving the university, he worked for the government of the city-state of Hamburg, working in the department of economic policy. Beginning in 1952, under Karl Schiller
, he was a senior figure in the Behörde für Wirtschaft und Verkehr (the Hamburg State Ministry for Economy and Transport).
He was elected to the Bundestag in 1953, and in 1957 he became member of the SPD parliamentary party executive. A vocal critic of conservative government policy, his outspoken rhetoric in parliament earned him the nickname "Schmidt-Schnauze". In 1958, he joined the national board of the SPD (Bundesvorstand) and campaigned against nuclear weapon
s and the equipping of the Bundeswehr with such devices. In 1958, he gave up his seat in parliament to concentrate on his tasks in Hamburg.
From 27 February 1958, to 29 November 1961, he was a Member of the European Parliament
, which was not directly elected at the time.
. Schmidt used all means at his disposal to alleviate the situation, even when that meant overstepping his legal authority, including federal police
and army units
(ignoring the German constitution
's prohibition on using the army for "internal affairs"; a clause excluding disasters was not added until 1968). Describing his actions, Schmidt said, "I wasn't put in charge of these units - I took charge of them!"
This characteristic was coupled with a pragmatic attitude and opposition to political idealism, including those of student protests, best symbolised by his well known remark that "People who have a vision should go see a doctor."
. In 1967, after the formation of the Grand Coalition between SPD and CDU, he became chairman of the Social Democrat parliamentary party, a post he held until the elections of 1969.
In 1967, he was elected deputy party chairman.
In October 1969, he entered the government of Willy Brandt
as defence minister. During his term in office the military conscription
time was reduced from 18 to 15 months. Additionally, Schmidt decided to introduce the Bundeswehr universities in Hamburg
and Munich to broaden the academic education of the German officer corps. In July 1972, he succeeded Karl Schiller
as Minister for Economics and Finances, but in November 1972, he relinquished the Economics department, which was again made a separate ministry. Schmidt remained Minister of Finances until May 1974.
From 1968 to 1984, Schmidt was deputy chairman of the SPD (unlike Willy Brandt
and Gerhard Schröder
, he was never actually chairman of the party).
. The worldwide economic recession was the main concern of his administration, and Schmidt took a tough and disciplined line. During his term, Germany had to cope with the oil crisis of the 1970s
; according to some judgments, Germany managed better than the most of the industrial states. Schmidt was also active in improving relations with France
. Together with the French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
, he was one of the fathers of the world economic summit
s, the first of which assembled in 1975.
In 1975, he was a signatory of the Helsinki Final Act to create the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe
, the precursor of today's OSCE.
He remained chancellor after the 1976 elections in coalition with the FDP.
Regarding the terrorist Red Army Faction
he held to a tough, no compromise line. Specifically, he authorized the GSG 9
anti-terrorist unit to end the hijacking
of the Lufthansa
aircraft Landshut by force in the German Autumn
of 1977.
Concerned about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Soviet superiority regarding missiles in Central Europe
, Schmidt issued proposals resulting in the NATO Double-Track Decision
concerning the deployment of medium-range nuclear missiles in Western Europe
should the Soviets not disarm. He was re-elected as chancellor in November 1980. In October 1981, Schmidt was fitted with a cardiac pacemaker
.
At the beginning of his period as Bundeskanzler, Schmidt was a proponent of Keynesian economics
, and pursued expansionary monetary and fiscal policies during his time as chancellor. Between 1979 and 1982, the Schmidt Administration pursued such policies in an effort to reduce unemployment. These were moderately successful, as the fiscal measures introduced after 1977, which reductions in income and wealth taxes and an increase in the medium-term public investment programme, was estimated to have created 160,000 additional jobs in 1978-79, or 300,000 if additional public sector employment was included in the figure). The small fall the unemployment rate, however, was achieved at the cost of a larger budget deficit (which rose from 31.2 billion DM to 75.7 billion DM in 1981), brought about by fiscal expansion).
During the Seventies West Germany was able to weather the global financial storm far better than almost all the other developed countries, with unemployment and inflation kept at comparatively low levels. During the 1976 election campaign, the SDP-FDP coalition was able to win the battle of statistics, whether the figures related to employee’s incomes, strikes, unemployment, growth, or public sector debts. Amongst other social improvements, retirement pensions had been doubled between 1969 and 1976, and unemployment pay increased to 68% of previous earnings.
By the end of his term, however, Schmidt had turned away from deficit spending
, due to a deteriorating economic situation, and a number of welfare cuts were carried out. Large sections of the SPD increasingly opposed his security policy while most of the FDP politicians strongly supported that policy; while representatives of the left wing of the Social Democratic Party opposed reduction of the state expenditures, the FDP began proposing a monetarist
economic policy. In February 1982, Schmidt won a Motion of Confidence, however on 17 September 1982, the coalition broke apart, with the four FDP ministers leaving his cabinet. Schmidt continued to head a minority government composed only of SPD members, while the FDP negotiated a coalition with the CDU/CSU. During this time Schmidt also headed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On 1 October 1982, parliament approved of a Vote of No-Confidence
and elected the CDU chairman Helmut Kohl
as the new Chancellor. This was the first and only time in the history of the Federal Republic that a Chancellor was ousted from office in this way.
, he co-founded the annual AEI World Forum
.
In 1983, he joined the nationwide weekly Die Zeit
newspaper as co-publisher. In 1985, he became Managing Director. With Takeo Fukuda
he founded the Inter Action Councils in 1983. He retired from the Bundestag in 1986. In December 1986, he was one of the founders of the committee supporting the EMU
and the creation of the European Central Bank
.
Contrary to the current line of his party, Helmut Schmidt is a determined opponent of Turkey
's entry into the EU. He also opposes phasing out nuclear energy
, something that the Red-Green coalition of Gerhard Schröder
supported. Further, Schmidt regards the climate debate “hysteric” and the IPCC
reports skeptical.
Schmidt is author of numerous books on his political life, on foreign policy and political ethics. He remains one the most renowned political publicists in Germany.
In recent years, Schmidt has been afflicted with increasing deafness.
that the United States
was a greater threat to world peace than Russia
. He argued that Russia had not invaded its neighbours since the conclusion of the Cold War
and that he was surprised that Russia allowed Ukraine
and other former components of the Soviet Union
to secede peacefully. He noted that the United States' invasion of Iraq
under George W. Bush
was "a war of choice, not a war of necessity."
ian president Anwar as-Sadat among his particular friends from the world of politics, and sustains his friendship with ex-president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
of France
. His circle also includes former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
who is on record as stating that he wishes to predecease Helmut Schmidt, because he would not wish to live in a world without Schmidt.
He was also good friends with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
. In 2011 Schmidt, accompanied by Jean Chrétien
and Tom Axworthy
, made a pilgrimage to the Trudeau family vault in St-Rémi-de-Napierville Cemetery
.
Changes
Changes
Changes
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Social Democratic
Social Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who served as Chancellor of West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
from 1974 to 1982. Prior to becoming chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Finance. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting Foreign Minister. He is the oldest surviving German Chancellor and the last surviving person to have been solely Chancellor of West Germany (Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
was Chancellor of both West Germany and reunified Germany). He is also the oldest Federal German Minister surviving after the death of his Interior Minister Werner Maihofer
Werner Maihofer
Werner Maihofer was a German jurist and legal philosopher. He served as Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior from 1974–1978 until he resigned after a scandal involving an illegal wiretapping of Klaus Traube.-Biography:...
.
Background
Helmut Schmidt was born in HamburgHamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, as son of two teachers. He studied at Hamburg Lichtwark School, graduating in 1937. He was conscripted into military service and began serving with an anti-aircraft
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
battery at Vegesack near Bremen during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After brief service on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
he returned to Germany in 1942 to work as a trainer and advisor at the Reichsluftfahrtministerium
Reich Air Ministry
thumb|300px|The Ministry of Aviation, December 1938The Ministry of Aviation was a government department during the period of Nazi Germany...
. Also in 1942, on 27 June, he married his childhood sweetheart Hannelore "Loki" Glaser
Loki Schmidt
Hannelore "Loki" Schmidt, née Glaser was a German environmentalist. She was the wife of Helmut Schmidt, who was the Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982.-Life and work:...
(3 March 1919 – 21 October 2010), with whom he fathered two children: Helmut Walter (26 June 1944–February 1945, died of meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
), and Susanne (b. 1947), who works in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television
Bloomberg Television is a 24-hour global network broadcasting business and financial news. It is distributed globally, reaching over 200 million homes worldwide. It is owned and operated by Bloomberg L.P...
. Toward the end of the war, from December 1944 onwards, he served as an Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
in the artillery on the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
. He was captured by the British in April 1945 on Lüneburg Heath
Lüneburg Heath
The Lüneburg Heath is a large area of heath, geest and woodland in northeastern part of the state of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It forms part of the hinterland for the cities of Hamburg, Hanover, and Bremen and is named after the town of Lüneburg. Most of the area is a nature reserve...
and was a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
until August. During his service in World War II Schmidt was awarded the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
.
Schmidt's father was the illegitimate son of a German Jewish businessman, although this was kept secret in the family. This was confirmed publicly by Helmut Schmidt in 1984, after Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
had, apparently with Schmidt's assent, revealed the fact to journalists. Schmidt himself is a non-practicing Lutheran
Evangelical Church in Germany
The Evangelical Church in Germany is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Unified and Reformed Protestant regional church bodies in Germany. The EKD is not a church in a theological understanding because of the denominational differences. However, the member churches share full pulpit and altar...
.
Schmidt completed his education in Hamburg, studying economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. He graduated in 1949.
Early years
Schmidt had joined the Social Democratic PartySocial Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD) in 1946, and from 1947 to 1948 was leader of the Sozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund
Sozialistischer Deutscher Studentenbund
Der Sozialistische Deutsche Studentenbund was founded 1946 in Hamburg, Germany, as the college organisation of the SPD...
, the then-student organisation of the SPD.
Upon leaving the university, he worked for the government of the city-state of Hamburg, working in the department of economic policy. Beginning in 1952, under Karl Schiller
Karl Schiller
Karl August Fritz Schiller was a German scientist and politician of the Social Democratic Party . From 1966 to 1972, he was Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and from 1971 to 1972 Federal Minister of Finance...
, he was a senior figure in the Behörde für Wirtschaft und Verkehr (the Hamburg State Ministry for Economy and Transport).
He was elected to the Bundestag in 1953, and in 1957 he became member of the SPD parliamentary party executive. A vocal critic of conservative government policy, his outspoken rhetoric in parliament earned him the nickname "Schmidt-Schnauze". In 1958, he joined the national board of the SPD (Bundesvorstand) and campaigned against nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s and the equipping of the Bundeswehr with such devices. In 1958, he gave up his seat in parliament to concentrate on his tasks in Hamburg.
From 27 February 1958, to 29 November 1961, he was a Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
, which was not directly elected at the time.
Senator
The government of the city-state of Hamburg is known as the Senate of Hamburg, and from 1961 to 1965 Schmidt was the Innensenator, that is Minister of the Interior. He gained the reputation as a Macher (doer) someone who gets things done regardless of obstacles by his effective management during the emergency caused by the 1962 floodNorth Sea flood of 1962
The North Sea flood of 1962 was a natural disaster affecting mainly the coastal regions of Germany and in particular the city of Hamburg in the night from 16 February to 17 February 1962...
. Schmidt used all means at his disposal to alleviate the situation, even when that meant overstepping his legal authority, including federal police
German Federal Police
The Bundespolizei is a uniformed federal police force in Germany. It is subordinate to the Federal Ministry of the Interior...
and army units
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
(ignoring the German constitution
Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany
The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany is the constitution of Germany. It was formally approved on 8 May 1949, and, with the signature of the Allies of World War II on 12 May, came into effect on 23 May, as the constitution of those states of West Germany that were initially included...
's prohibition on using the army for "internal affairs"; a clause excluding disasters was not added until 1968). Describing his actions, Schmidt said, "I wasn't put in charge of these units - I took charge of them!"
This characteristic was coupled with a pragmatic attitude and opposition to political idealism, including those of student protests, best symbolised by his well known remark that "People who have a vision should go see a doctor."
Return to Federal politics
In 1965, he was re-elected to the BundestagBundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
. In 1967, after the formation of the Grand Coalition between SPD and CDU, he became chairman of the Social Democrat parliamentary party, a post he held until the elections of 1969.
In 1967, he was elected deputy party chairman.
In October 1969, he entered the government of Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
as defence minister. During his term in office the military conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
time was reduced from 18 to 15 months. Additionally, Schmidt decided to introduce the Bundeswehr universities in Hamburg
Helmut Schmidt University
The Helmut Schmidt University , located in Hamburg, Germany, is a German educational establishment that was founded in 1973 at the initiative of the then-Federal Minister of Defence, Helmut Schmidt. Teaching first started in Autumn of 1973...
and Munich to broaden the academic education of the German officer corps. In July 1972, he succeeded Karl Schiller
Karl Schiller
Karl August Fritz Schiller was a German scientist and politician of the Social Democratic Party . From 1966 to 1972, he was Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and from 1971 to 1972 Federal Minister of Finance...
as Minister for Economics and Finances, but in November 1972, he relinquished the Economics department, which was again made a separate ministry. Schmidt remained Minister of Finances until May 1974.
From 1968 to 1984, Schmidt was deputy chairman of the SPD (unlike Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
and Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder is a German politician, and was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , he led a coalition government of the SPD and the Greens. Before becoming a full-time politician, he was a lawyer, and before becoming Chancellor...
, he was never actually chairman of the party).
Chancellor
He became Chancellor of West Germany on 16 May 1974, after Brandt's resignation in the wake of an espionage scandalGuillaume Affair
The Guillaume Affair was an espionage scandal in the Cold War history of Germany. The scandal revolved around the exposure of an East German spy within the West German government and had far-reaching political repercussions in Germany, the most prominent being the resignation of West German...
. The worldwide economic recession was the main concern of his administration, and Schmidt took a tough and disciplined line. During his term, Germany had to cope with the oil crisis of the 1970s
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
; according to some judgments, Germany managed better than the most of the industrial states. Schmidt was also active in improving relations with France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Together with the French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
, he was one of the fathers of the world economic summit
G8
The Group of Eight is a forum, created by France in 1975, for the governments of seven major economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 1997, the group added Russia, thus becoming the G8...
s, the first of which assembled in 1975.
In 1975, he was a signatory of the Helsinki Final Act to create the Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe is the world's largest security-oriented intergovernmental organization. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, human rights, freedom of the press and fair elections...
, the precursor of today's OSCE.
He remained chancellor after the 1976 elections in coalition with the FDP.
Regarding the terrorist Red Army Faction
Red Army Faction
The radicalized were, like many in the New Left, influenced by:* Sociological developments, pressure within the educational system in and outside Europe and the U.S...
he held to a tough, no compromise line. Specifically, he authorized the GSG 9
GSG 9
The GSG 9 der Bundespolizei , is the elite counter-terrorism and special operations unit of the German Federal Police.-History and name:...
anti-terrorist unit to end the hijacking
Aircraft hijacking
Aircraft hijacking is the unlawful seizure of an aircraft by an individual or a group. In most cases, the pilot is forced to fly according to the orders of the hijackers. Occasionally, however, the hijackers have flown the aircraft themselves, such as the September 11 attacks of 2001...
of the Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
aircraft Landshut by force in the German Autumn
German Autumn
The German Autumn was a set of events in late 1977, associated with the kidnapping and murder of industrialist Hanns-Martin Schleyer, President of the Confederation of German Employers' Associations and the Federation of German Industries , by the Red Army Faction , and the hijacking of the...
of 1977.
Concerned about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the Soviet superiority regarding missiles in Central Europe
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
, Schmidt issued proposals resulting in the NATO Double-Track Decision
NATO Double-Track Decision
The NATO Double-Track Decision is the decision of NATO from December 12, 1979 to offer the Warsaw Pact a mutual limitation of Medium-range ballistic missiles and Intermediate-range ballistic missiles combined with the threat that in case of disagreement NATO would deploy more middle range nuclear...
concerning the deployment of medium-range nuclear missiles in Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
should the Soviets not disarm. He was re-elected as chancellor in November 1980. In October 1981, Schmidt was fitted with a cardiac pacemaker
Artificial pacemaker
A pacemaker is a medical device that uses electrical impulses, delivered by electrodes contacting the heart muscles, to regulate the beating of the heart...
.
At the beginning of his period as Bundeskanzler, Schmidt was a proponent of Keynesian economics
Keynesian economics
Keynesian economics is a school of macroeconomic thought based on the ideas of 20th-century English economist John Maynard Keynes.Keynesian economics argues that private sector decisions sometimes lead to inefficient macroeconomic outcomes and, therefore, advocates active policy responses by the...
, and pursued expansionary monetary and fiscal policies during his time as chancellor. Between 1979 and 1982, the Schmidt Administration pursued such policies in an effort to reduce unemployment. These were moderately successful, as the fiscal measures introduced after 1977, which reductions in income and wealth taxes and an increase in the medium-term public investment programme, was estimated to have created 160,000 additional jobs in 1978-79, or 300,000 if additional public sector employment was included in the figure). The small fall the unemployment rate, however, was achieved at the cost of a larger budget deficit (which rose from 31.2 billion DM to 75.7 billion DM in 1981), brought about by fiscal expansion).
During the Seventies West Germany was able to weather the global financial storm far better than almost all the other developed countries, with unemployment and inflation kept at comparatively low levels. During the 1976 election campaign, the SDP-FDP coalition was able to win the battle of statistics, whether the figures related to employee’s incomes, strikes, unemployment, growth, or public sector debts. Amongst other social improvements, retirement pensions had been doubled between 1969 and 1976, and unemployment pay increased to 68% of previous earnings.
By the end of his term, however, Schmidt had turned away from deficit spending
Deficit spending
Deficit spending is the amount by which a government, private company, or individual's spending exceeds income over a particular period of time, also called simply "deficit," or "budget deficit," the opposite of budget surplus....
, due to a deteriorating economic situation, and a number of welfare cuts were carried out. Large sections of the SPD increasingly opposed his security policy while most of the FDP politicians strongly supported that policy; while representatives of the left wing of the Social Democratic Party opposed reduction of the state expenditures, the FDP began proposing a monetarist
Monetarism
Monetarism is a tendency in economic thought that emphasizes the role of governments in controlling the amount of money in circulation. It is the view within monetary economics that variation in the money supply has major influences on national output in the short run and the price level over...
economic policy. In February 1982, Schmidt won a Motion of Confidence, however on 17 September 1982, the coalition broke apart, with the four FDP ministers leaving his cabinet. Schmidt continued to head a minority government composed only of SPD members, while the FDP negotiated a coalition with the CDU/CSU. During this time Schmidt also headed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. On 1 October 1982, parliament approved of a Vote of No-Confidence
Constructive vote of no confidence
The constructive vote of no confidence is a variation on the motion of no confidence which allows a parliament to withdraw confidence from a head of government only if there is a positive majority for a prospective successor...
and elected the CDU chairman Helmut Kohl
Helmut Kohl
Helmut Josef Michael Kohl is a German conservative politician and statesman. He was Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 and the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union from 1973 to 1998...
as the new Chancellor. This was the first and only time in the history of the Federal Republic that a Chancellor was ousted from office in this way.
Domestic reforms
Although Schmidt did not feel that he was in a position to substantially extend the social reforms of the Brandt Administration, due to the economic problems he encountered during his time as chancellor, a wide range of reforms were nevertheless carried out under his administration. These included:- The introduction of employment creation schemes to help young workers.
- Major improvements in welfare provision for the elderly.
- The Training Opportunities Act (1976) which, over a four-year period, helped to increase the number of vocational training places from 450,000 to 630,000 a year.
- The replacement of tax allowances by child benefit as well as payment for the first child (1975).
- A new declaration of social rights (1976).
- A Sex Discrimination Act (1977).
- The introduction of a "parity" system (although in a weakened form) on the supervisory boards of all companies employing over 2,000 workers, a reform which West German trade unions had long fought for. This law improved employee representation on the supervisory boards of companies outside the steel and coal industries. The main provision of this new piece of legislation was that in the 650 major companies that accounted for 70% of West Germany’s output, employee representation on the supervisory boards rose from one-third to one-half.
- The 1976 Act for the Promotion of Urban Development and the 1977 Housing Modernisation Act, which (together with the 1971 Act for the Promotion of Urban Development passed by the Brandt Administration) by the end of the Seventies had enabled most West German cities to introduce programmes aimed at renovating their pre-war residential areas.
- Improvements in family allowances, with monthly subsidies for children increased by over 100% (1975).
- The introduction of additional tax reforms that lowered the tax burden on low-income households, and which played an important role “in pre-empting a real decline in the income and purchasing power of workers”.
- The introduction of social policy legislation in the late seventies which increased family allowances (though by a smaller amount than in 1974) and maternity leave benefits.
- A tax relief act, which reduced income taxes and provided additional tax benefits for housing allowances.
- The introduction of several policy changes between 1976 and 1982, such as tax credits and family allowances, which compensated unions for wage restraint and “guaranteed the maintenance of a constant income level for employed persons and their families”.
- A substantial increase in the child allowance (1979).
- The launching of an experimental retraining programme on the shop floor (lasting from 1979 to 1981), which benefited 45,680 people.
- The Law to Improve Occupational Old Age Pensions (1974), which extended coverage of occupational pensions whilst also “co-ordinating them more closely with state pensions and setting minimum standards as regards benefit levels and the preservation of pension rights.” By 1976, as a result of this legislation, 65% of private sector employees were covered by occupational schemes and over two-thirds of these workers were eligible for benefits equal to more than 15% of their earnings at retirement.
- Improvements in invalidity and old-age pension provision for the unemployed, who (from 1977 onwards) were technically insured free of charge under the old-age pension and invalidity scheme. Previously, there had only existed partial and restricted coverage for the unemployed.
- A reform of naming for partners after marriage (1976).
- A reform of marriage law, which eliminated “moral guilt” as a criterion for alimony payment obligations (1976).
- Increases in child benefits, which rose on a regular basis (particularly for families with more than one child) for most of the years that the Schmidt Administration was in office.
- The introduction of a provisional law (1976) to boost the number of apprentices, which reduced the numbers of young people out of work.
- The First Marriage Reform Law (1976), which stated that pension entitlements acquired during marriage must be shared with the economically weaker spouse following divorce.
- The Artists’ Social insurance Law (1981), which introduced compulsory insurance for artists below a certain income-limit.
- Increases in pensions, which went up in numerical terms by 11.1% (1975), 11.0% (1976), 9.9% (1977), 4.5% (1979), 4% (1980), 4% (1981), and 5.8% (1982). Adjusted for changes in the annual price index, pensions went up in real terms by 5.1% (1975), 6.7% (1976), 6.2% (1977), 0.4% (1979), and 0.6% (1982). However, the rate of pension was not changed in 1978 (even though prices increased by 2.7%), and in 1980 and 1981 the real value of pensions fell by 1.5% and 2.3%, respectively.
- The Introductory Tax Reform Law (1974), which increased bad weather payments, part-time workers’ benefits and insurance benefits to 68% of net wages, fixed special benefits during vocational training at 90% of net earnings, increased assistance benefits to 58% of net earnings, and abolished special family benefits “in favour of the inclusion of the unemployed under general child allowance scheme”.
- The Maintenance Security Law (1979), which introduced public advance payments for single parents “not in receipt of maintenance payments from the liable parent.” These benefits were made payable up to 36 months, and private claims against a parent not meeting a maintenance liability were taken over by the state.
- The extension of entitlement to educational allowances to cover all tenth-grade pupils in vocational education (1978).
- The adoption of the European directive on equal treatment for women in paid employment (1979).
- The passage of the Detergents Law (1975) and the Effluency Levies Act (1978) to encourage environmental protection.
- The introduction of four months paid parental leave for working mothers (1979).
- The introduction of a law which enabled married women to enter employment without the permission of their husbands (1977).
- The strengthening of the legal status of people from other countries by facilitating the acquisition of unlimited residence permits (1978).
- An amendment to the legal code for residency permits (1978), which granted foreign residents the right to unlimited residence permits after five years of continuous residency. The amendment also stated that legal residents would be eligible for a residence entitlement after eight years if certain conditions were met, such as language fluency.
- A reduction in poverty between 1978 and 1982.
Life after politics
In 1982, along with his friend Gerald FordGerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, he co-founded the annual AEI World Forum
AEI World Forum
The AEI World Forum is an annual meeting of business and financial executives, heads of government, government officials, and intellectuals. Held every summer in Beaver Creek, Colorado, it is sponsored by the American Enterprise Institute and the Vail Valley Foundation, and it features a number of...
.
In 1983, he joined the nationwide weekly Die Zeit
Die Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
newspaper as co-publisher. In 1985, he became Managing Director. With Takeo Fukuda
Takeo Fukuda
was a Japanese politician and the 42d Prime Minister of Japan from December 24, 1976 to December 7, 1978.He was born in Gunma Prefecture and attended Tokyo Imperial University. Before and during World War II, he served as a bureaucrat in the Finance Ministry and as Chief Cabinet Secretary...
he founded the Inter Action Councils in 1983. He retired from the Bundestag in 1986. In December 1986, he was one of the founders of the committee supporting the EMU
Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union
The Economic and Monetary Union is an umbrella term for the group of policies aimed at converging the economies of members of the European Union in three stages so as to allow them to adopt a single currency, the euro. As such, it is largely synonymous with the eurozone.All member states of the...
and the creation of the European Central Bank
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank is the institution of the European Union that administers the monetary policy of the 17 EU Eurozone member states. It is thus one of the world's most important central banks. The bank was established by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1998, and is headquartered in Frankfurt,...
.
Contrary to the current line of his party, Helmut Schmidt is a determined opponent of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's entry into the EU. He also opposes phasing out nuclear energy
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
, something that the Red-Green coalition of Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Schröder
Gerhard Fritz Kurt Schröder is a German politician, and was Chancellor of Germany from 1998 to 2005. A member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany , he led a coalition government of the SPD and the Greens. Before becoming a full-time politician, he was a lawyer, and before becoming Chancellor...
supported. Further, Schmidt regards the climate debate “hysteric” and the IPCC
IPCC
IPCC may refer to:*Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, of the United Nations*Independent Police Complaints Commission, of England and Wales*Irish Peatland Conservation Council...
reports skeptical.
Schmidt is author of numerous books on his political life, on foreign policy and political ethics. He remains one the most renowned political publicists in Germany.
In recent years, Schmidt has been afflicted with increasing deafness.
2007 criticism of the United States
In November 2007, Schmidt wrote in the German weekly Die ZeitDie Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
that the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was a greater threat to world peace than Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. He argued that Russia had not invaded its neighbours since the conclusion of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
and that he was surprised that Russia allowed Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and other former components of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
to secede peacefully. He noted that the United States' invasion of Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
under George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
was "a war of choice, not a war of necessity."
Friendships
Schmidt numbered the assassinated EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
ian president Anwar as-Sadat among his particular friends from the world of politics, and sustains his friendship with ex-president Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. His circle also includes former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
who is on record as stating that he wishes to predecease Helmut Schmidt, because he would not wish to live in a world without Schmidt.
He was also good friends with Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
. In 2011 Schmidt, accompanied by Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
and Tom Axworthy
Tom Axworthy
Thomas Sidney Axworthy, OC is a Canadian civil servant, political strategist, writer and professor. He is best known for having served as Principal Secretary and Chief Speechwriter to Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau...
, made a pilgrimage to the Trudeau family vault in St-Rémi-de-Napierville Cemetery
St-Rémi-de-Napierville Cemetery
St-Rémi-de-Napierville Cemetery is a cemetery in Saint-Rémi-de-Napierville, Quebec and is the final resting place of Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau ....
.
Personal life
- He is a great admirer of the philosopher Karl PopperKarl PopperSir Karl Raimund Popper, CH FRS FBA was an Austro-British philosopher and a professor at the London School of Economics...
, and contributed a foreword to the 1982 Festschrift in Popper's honor.
- The University of Germany's Federal Armed Forces in HamburgHamburg-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
was renamed Helmut Schmidt University - University of the Federal Armed Forces HamburgHelmut Schmidt UniversityThe Helmut Schmidt University , located in Hamburg, Germany, is a German educational establishment that was founded in 1973 at the initiative of the then-Federal Minister of Defence, Helmut Schmidt. Teaching first started in Autumn of 1973...
in 2003 in honour of the politician who as minister of defence had introduced obligatory academic education for German career officers.
- Born and raised in Hamburg, Schmidt is regarded in Germany as an embodiment of hanseaticHanseaten (class)The Hanseaten is a collective term for the heirachy group consisting of elite individuals and families of prestigious rank who constituted the ruling class of the free imperial city of Hamburg, conjointly with the equal First Families of the free imperial cities Bremen and Lübeck...
values, according to which he has never accepted a medal or an order of merit (not even the Federal Republic's Federal Cross of Merit).
- Schmidt is also a talented pianistPianistA pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and has recorded pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
concertos of both MozartWolfgang Amadeus MozartWolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
and BachJohann Sebastian BachJohann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
with the well-known German pianist and conductor, Christoph EschenbachChristoph EschenbachChristoph Eschenbach , born February 20, 1940, Breslau, Germany is a German-born pianist and conductor. He currently holds positions in Washington, D.C. as music director of the National Symphony Orchestra and music director of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.-Early...
.
- Schmidt (as was his late wife) is a smokerTobacco smokingTobacco smoking is the practice where tobacco is burned and the resulting smoke is inhaled. The practice may have begun as early as 5000–3000 BCE. Tobacco was introduced to Eurasia in the late 16th century where it followed common trade routes...
. He is well known for lighting up cigaretteCigaretteA cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s on TV interviews and talkshows. In January 2008, German police launched an enquiry after Schmidt was reported by an anti-smoking initiative for defying the recently introduced smoking banSmoking banSmoking bans are public policies, including criminal laws and occupational safety and health regulations, which prohibit tobacco smoking in workplaces and/or other public spaces...
. The initiative claimed that Helmut Schmidt had been flagrantly ignoring laws "for decades". Despite pictures in the press, the case was subsequently dropped after the public prosecution service decided that Schmidt's actions had not been a threat to public health.
- On April 6, 2010 with a lifespan of 33 342 days he surpassed Konrad AdenauerKonrad AdenauerKonrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
in terms of longevity and is now the oldest former chancellor in German history.
Schmidt's first term as Federal Chancellor, 16 May 1974–15 December 1976
- Helmut Schmidt (SPDSocial Democratic Party of GermanyThe Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
) - Chancellor - Hans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich Genscher is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party . He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 and, after a two-week pause, from 1982 to 1992, making him Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor...
(FDP) - Vice Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs - Georg LeberGeorg LeberGeorg Leber is a German politician in the Social Democratic Party of Germany .After serving in the Luftwaffe in World War 2, he joined the SPD in 1947...
(SPD) - Minister of Defense - Werner MaihoferWerner MaihoferWerner Maihofer was a German jurist and legal philosopher. He served as Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior from 1974–1978 until he resigned after a scandal involving an illegal wiretapping of Klaus Traube.-Biography:...
(FDP) - Minister of the Interior - Hans ApelHans ApelHans Eberhard Apel was a German politician and a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany . From 1972-74 he was Parliamentary State Secretary to the Foreign Minister...
(SPD) - Minister of Finance - Hans-Jochen VogelHans-Jochen VogelHans-Jochen Vogel is a politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.- Early years and professional career :...
(SPD) - Minister of Justice - Hans Friedrichs (FDP) - Minister of Economics
- Walter Arendt (SPD) - Minister of Labour and Social Affairs
- Josef Ertl (FDP) - Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry
- Kurt GscheidleKurt GscheidleKurt Gscheidle was a German politician affiliated with the Social Democratic Party ....
(SPD) - Minister of Transport, Posts, and Communications - Karl Ravens (SPD) - Minister of Construction
- Katharina Focke (SPD) - Minister of Youth, Family, and Health
- Hans MatthöferHans MatthöferHans Hermann Matthöfer was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.Between 1974 and 1978 Matthöfer served as secretary of research and technology. In 1978 he took over as secretary of finance and in 1982 he left that post and served briefly as secretary of telecommunication...
(SPD) - Minister of Research and Technology - Helmut Rohde (SPD) - Minister of Education and Science
- Erhard EpplerErhard EpplerErhard Eppler is a German Social Democratic politician and founder of the GTZ .- Early years :Born in Ulm, Erhard Eppler grew up in Schwäbisch Hall, where his father was the headmaster of the local grammar school. From 1943 to 1945 he served as a soldier in an anti-aircraft unit...
(SPD) - Minister of Economic Cooperation - Egon Franke (SPD) - Minister of Intra-German Relations
Changes
- 4 July 1974 - Egon BahrEgon BahrEgon Karl-Heinz Bahr is a German SPD politician.The former journalist was the creator of the "Ostpolitik" promoted by West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, for whom he served as Secretary of the Prime Minister's Office from 1969 until 1972...
(SPD) succeeds Eppler as Minister of Economic Cooperation.
Schmidt's second term as Federal Chancellor, 15 December 1976–5 November 1980
- Helmut Schmidt (SPD) - Chancellor
- Hans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich Genscher is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party . He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 and, after a two-week pause, from 1982 to 1992, making him Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor...
(FDP) - Vice Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs - Georg LeberGeorg LeberGeorg Leber is a German politician in the Social Democratic Party of Germany .After serving in the Luftwaffe in World War 2, he joined the SPD in 1947...
(SPD) - Minister of Defense - Werner MaihoferWerner MaihoferWerner Maihofer was a German jurist and legal philosopher. He served as Germany's Federal Minister of the Interior from 1974–1978 until he resigned after a scandal involving an illegal wiretapping of Klaus Traube.-Biography:...
(FDP) - Minister of the Interior - Hans ApelHans ApelHans Eberhard Apel was a German politician and a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany . From 1972-74 he was Parliamentary State Secretary to the Foreign Minister...
(SPD) - Minister of Finance - Hans-Jochen VogelHans-Jochen VogelHans-Jochen Vogel is a politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.- Early years and professional career :...
(SPD) - Minister of Justice - Hans Friedrichs (FDP) - Minister of Economics
- Herbert EhrenbergHerbert EhrenbergHerbert Ehrenberg is a retired German politician.Ehrenberg was born in Kollnischken, East Prussia and visited school in Goldap until 1943, when he was conscripted to the German Army and became a prisoner of war...
(SPD) - Minister of Labour and Social Affairs - Josef Ertl (FDP) - Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry
- Kurt GscheidleKurt GscheidleKurt Gscheidle was a German politician affiliated with the Social Democratic Party ....
(SPD) - Minister of Transportation, Posts, and Communications - Karl Ravens (SPD) - Minister of Construction
- Antje Huber (SPD) - Minister of Youth, Family, and Health
- Hans MatthöferHans MatthöferHans Hermann Matthöfer was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.Between 1974 and 1978 Matthöfer served as secretary of research and technology. In 1978 he took over as secretary of finance and in 1982 he left that post and served briefly as secretary of telecommunication...
(SPD) - Minister of Research and Technology - Helmut Rohde (SPD) - Minister of Education and Science
- Marie Schlei (SPD) - Minister of Economic Cooperation
- Egon Franke (SPD) - Minister of Intra-German Relations
Changes
- 7 October 1977 - Otto Graf LambsdorffOtto Graf LambsdorffOtto Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von der Wenge Graf Lambsdorff, known as Otto Graf Lambsdorff, was a German politician of the Free Democratic Party.- Biography :...
(FDP) succeeds Friedrichs as Minister of Economics. - 16 February 1978 - Hans ApelHans ApelHans Eberhard Apel was a German politician and a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany . From 1972-74 he was Parliamentary State Secretary to the Foreign Minister...
(SPD) succeeds Leber as Minister of Defense. Hans MatthöferHans MatthöferHans Hermann Matthöfer was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.Between 1974 and 1978 Matthöfer served as secretary of research and technology. In 1978 he took over as secretary of finance and in 1982 he left that post and served briefly as secretary of telecommunication...
(SPD) succeeds Apel as Minister of Finance. Volker Hauff succeeds Matthöfer as Minister of Research and Technology. Dieter Haack (SPD) succeeds Ravens as Minister of Construction. Jürgen SchmudeJürgen SchmudeJürgen Dieter Paul Schmude is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He was born in Insterburg East Prussia, Germany, ....
(SPD) succeeds Rohde as Minister of Education and Science. Rainer Offergeld (SPD) succeeds Schlei as Minister of Economic Cooperation. - 8 June 1978 - Gerhart BaumGerhart BaumGerhart Rudolf Baum is a German politician of the Free Democratic Party and a lawyer....
(FDP) succeeds Maihofer as Minister of the Interior.
Schmidt's third term as Federal Chancellor, 5 November 1980–17 September 1982
- Helmut Schmidt (SPD) - Chancellor
- Hans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich GenscherHans-Dietrich Genscher is a German politician of the liberal Free Democratic Party . He served as Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor of Germany from 1974 to 1982 and, after a two-week pause, from 1982 to 1992, making him Germany's longest serving Foreign Minister and Vice Chancellor...
(FDP) - Vice Chancellor and Minister of Foreign Affairs - Hans ApelHans ApelHans Eberhard Apel was a German politician and a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany . From 1972-74 he was Parliamentary State Secretary to the Foreign Minister...
(SPD) - Minister of Defense - Gerhart BaumGerhart BaumGerhart Rudolf Baum is a German politician of the Free Democratic Party and a lawyer....
(FDP) - Minister of the Interior - Hans MatthöferHans MatthöferHans Hermann Matthöfer was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.Between 1974 and 1978 Matthöfer served as secretary of research and technology. In 1978 he took over as secretary of finance and in 1982 he left that post and served briefly as secretary of telecommunication...
(SPD) - Minister of Finance - Hans-Jochen VogelHans-Jochen VogelHans-Jochen Vogel is a politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.- Early years and professional career :...
(SPD) - Minister of Justice - Otto Graf LambsdorffOtto Graf LambsdorffOtto Friedrich Wilhelm Freiherr von der Wenge Graf Lambsdorff, known as Otto Graf Lambsdorff, was a German politician of the Free Democratic Party.- Biography :...
(FDP) - Minister of Economics - Herbert EhrenbergHerbert EhrenbergHerbert Ehrenberg is a retired German politician.Ehrenberg was born in Kollnischken, East Prussia and visited school in Goldap until 1943, when he was conscripted to the German Army and became a prisoner of war...
(SPD) - Minister of Labour and Social Affairs - Josef Ertl (FDP) - Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry
- Volker Hauff (SPD) - Minister of Transport
- Dieter Haack (SPD) - Minister of Construction
- Antje Huber (SPD) - Minister of Youth, Family, and Health
- Andreas von BülowAndreas von BülowAndreas von Bülow is a German writer, lawyer and former SPD politician. He has been working on books about intelligence agencies, including In the Name of the State. CIA, BND and the criminal machinations of secret services. and The CIA and September 11...
(SPD) - Minister of Research and Technology - Jürgen SchmudeJürgen SchmudeJürgen Dieter Paul Schmude is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He was born in Insterburg East Prussia, Germany, ....
(SPD) - Minister of Education and Science - Rainer Offergeld (SPD) - Minister of Economic Cooperation
- Kurt GscheidleKurt GscheidleKurt Gscheidle was a German politician affiliated with the Social Democratic Party ....
(SPD) - Minister of Posts and Communications - Egon Franke (SPD) - Minister of Intra-German Relations
Changes
- 28 January 1981 - Jürgen SchmudeJürgen SchmudeJürgen Dieter Paul Schmude is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He was born in Insterburg East Prussia, Germany, ....
(SPD) succeeds Vogel as Minister of Justice. Björn EngholmBjörn EngholmBjörn Engholm is a Lübeck born German SPD politician. He was Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein from 1988 to 1993 and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany between 1991 and 1993....
succeeds Schmude as Minister of Education and Science. - 28 April 1982 - Hans MatthöferHans MatthöferHans Hermann Matthöfer was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.Between 1974 and 1978 Matthöfer served as secretary of research and technology. In 1978 he took over as secretary of finance and in 1982 he left that post and served briefly as secretary of telecommunication...
(SPD) succeeds Gscheidle as Minister of Posts and Communications. Manfred LahnsteinManfred LahnsteinManfred Lahnstein is a German politician . In 1982 he was German Federal Minister of Finance as well as Federal Minister of Economics and until 2004 worked for the media conglomerate Bertelsmann.- Family :...
(SPD) succeeds Matthöfer as Minister of Finance. Heinz Westphal (SPD) succeeds Ehrenberg as Minister of Labour and Social Affairs. Anke FuchsAnke FuchsAnke Fuchs is a German lawyer and politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. She served as Federal Minister for Youth, Family and Health and as Vice President of the Bundestag . Since 2003, she has been the President of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.-Biography:She was born Anke...
(SPD) succeeds Huber as Minister of Youth, Family, and Health. - 17 September 1982 - All the Free Democratic ministers quit the government. Helmut Schmidt (SPD) succeeds Genscher as Minister of Foreign Affairs. Jürgen SchmudeJürgen SchmudeJürgen Dieter Paul Schmude is a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. He was born in Insterburg East Prussia, Germany, ....
(SPD) succeeds Baum as Minister of the Interior, remaining also Minister of Justice. Manfred LahnsteinManfred LahnsteinManfred Lahnstein is a German politician . In 1982 he was German Federal Minister of Finance as well as Federal Minister of Economics and until 2004 worked for the media conglomerate Bertelsmann.- Family :...
(SPD) succeeds Lambsdorff as Minister of Economics, remaining also Minister of Finance. Björn EngholmBjörn EngholmBjörn Engholm is a Lübeck born German SPD politician. He was Minister-President of Schleswig-Holstein from 1988 to 1993 and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany between 1991 and 1993....
(SPD) succeeds Ertl as Minister of Food, Agriculture, and Forestry, remaining also Minister of Education and Science.
Memoirs
- Menschen und Mächte (Persons and Powers), Siedler, Berlin 1987. Memoirs with focus on cold war politics.
- Die Deutschen und ihre Nachbarn (The Germans and their Neighbours), Siedler, Berlin 1990. Strong focus on European politics.
- Kinder und Jugend unter Hitler, with Willi Berkhan et al. (Childhood and Youth under Hitler). Siedler, Berlin 1992.
- Weggefährten (Companions), Siedler, Berin 1996. Personal memoirs, with focus on personal relations with domestic and foreign politicians
Recent political books (selection)
- Balance of Power, Kimber, 1971, ISBN 978-0-7183-0112-5
- The Soviet Union: Challenges and Responses As Seen from the European Point of View, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 1984, ISBN 978-9971-902-75-9
- A Grand Strategy for the West: The Anachronism of National Strategies in an Interdependent World, Yale University Press, reprint 1987, ISBN 978-0-300-04003-6
- Men and Powers: A Political Retrospective, Random House, 1989, ISBN 978-0-394-56994-9
- A Global Ethic and Global Responsibilities: Two Declarations, with Hans Kung, SCM Press, 1998, ISBN 978-0-334-02740-9
- Bridging the Divide: Religious Dialogue and Universal Ethics, Queen's Policy Studies, 2008, ISBN 978-1-55339-220-0
- Auf der Suche nach einer öffentlichen Moral (In Search of a Public Morality), DVA, Stuttgart 1998.
- Die Selbstbehauptung Europas (The Self-Assertion of Europe), DVA, Stuttgart 2000.
- Die Mächte der Zukunft. Gewinner und Verlierer in der Welt von morgen (The Powers of the Future. Winners and Losers in the World of Tomorrow) Siedler, Munich 2004.
- Nachbar China, with Frank Sieren (Neighbour China), Econ, Berlin 2006.
- Ausser Dienst (Out of Service), Siedler, Munich 2008. A political legacy.
Further reading
.- Schmidt, Helmut. Men and Power: A Political Retrospective (1990), his memoir
External links
- Biography at the German Historic Museum (German)
- Chancellor Site (German)
- Helmut Schmidt University (English)
- Talks:
- Die Selbstbehauptung Europas im neuen Jahrhundert (German, 2000)
- Kröten und Paragrafenwahn (German, 2006)
- Schmidt's talk on the occasion of China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao visiting Hamburg (English, 2006)
- Interview on nuclear strategy in Europe for the WGBH series, War and Peace in the Nuclear AgeWar and Peace in the Nuclear AgeWar and Peace in the Nuclear Age is a 1989 PBS television series focusing on the effect of nuclear weapons development on international relations and warfare during the Cold War. The 13-part series was funded by the Annenberg/CPB Project and produced by WGBH in Boston in association with NHK and...
- C-SPAN Booknotes interview in 1990 about his book, Men and Powers: A Political Retrospective.