HISB91 Lecture 17 – March 22

Hot War to Cold War

- In 1966 the German parties formed a grand coalition. It was an indication how
important the economy was to Europeans. The assumption was that without a stable
economy there could be no stable political situation. Harold Macmillan argued that
material prosperity was the key. Konrad Adenauer (CDU) – no more experiments,
directed at his socialist experiments. Ludwig Erhard was the economic minister, became
a symbol of stability.
- Mid to late 1960s – hippies. A generation that was wary of the war. The communal
ethic, the spirituality. A counter culture to materialism, centered on youth. They don’t
respect the authority and power. They begin to demand something bigr than the
materialism. They link up with the great heroes – socialism and communism. They link
up with Lenin and Rosa Luxemburg and Marx, Che Gevara. Everybody talks about the
weather, not us. We talk about crating a new communal world. They confront authority.
Clashes in Berlin, Paris.
- De Gaulle resigns in the wake of student demonstrations. A French moral recovery.
Huge symbol, he falls. The great cause is the Vietnam War – a symbol of imperial
aggression. Suddenly the cause disappeared when the war in Vietnam ended, they
turned to terrorists. They anarchistic deed and violence – the Red Army Faction. It’s the
last gasp of student idealism. It developed connections between terrorist organizations
around the world. Italy had the Red Brigades.
- Germany introduced welfare schemes before WWII (e.g. insurance, unemployment).
The rest Europe follows the example and introduces state legislated welfare schemes
- East Berlin 1953: Social tanks roll in and crushed the opposition Budapest 1956: An
attempt to loosen the great tight censorship of the Communist system. Prague 1968.
The motivation for the repression was that if those countries (e.g. Czechoslovakia,
Poland, Budapest, Hungaria, etc.) fell out of the Soviet system, the system of defense
would fall apart. One part crumbles; the whole system is in danger.
- Rapid industrialization was introduced in Western Europe. There was a shortage of
material goods in Eastern Europe. Shortage of housing – dominant features of Eastern
Europe.
- 2nd half of the 20th century: religion starts to become increasingly important (the Baptist
church). The number of incidents of mental disorders skyrockets in a material society.