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Summary
- Early Life and Political Rise
- Personal Life
- Chancellor of West Germany
- German Reunification
- Architect of European Integration
- Controversies, Retirement and Death
Key Facts And Information
Let’s know more about Helmut Kohl!
Helmut Kohl was the Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998. Known as the Chancellor of Unity, he orchestrated the peaceful reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. A champion of European integration, Kohl partnered with French President François Mitterrand to achieve milestones like the Maastricht Treaty and the euro. Though his later years were marked by controversy, his legacy as a transformative leader remains secure.
Helmut Kohl
Early Life and Political Rise of Helmut Kohl
- Helmut Josef Michael Kohl was born on 3 April 1930 in Ludwigshafen am Rhein. He came from a conservative Catholic family and was the youngest of three children of Hans and Cäcilie Kohl. Their family remained loyal to the Catholic Centre Party throughout the Weimar Republic and Nazi periods.
- Kohl witnessed the devastation brought by World War II after the loss of his older brother, who was a teenage soldier. At the age of 10, he joined a section of the Hitler Youth, Deutsches Jungvolk. At the age of 15, he was sworn into the Hitler Youth by its leader, Arthur Axmann. In 1945, he was drafted for military service, but fortunately did not see combat.
- Despite the war, Kohl was able to excel in school. He attended Ruprecht Primary School and Max-Planck-Gymnasium in Ludwigshafen. After finishing school in 1950, he pursued higher education. He first studied law in Frankfurt am Main, where he attended lectures by prominent figures like Carlo Schmid and Walter Hallstein.
- In 1951, Kohl became the first in his family to attend university by transferring to Heidelberg University to study history and political science. By 1958, he earned his doctorate degree. In his dissertation titled, ‘The Political Developments in the Palatinate and the Reconstruction of Political Parties after 1945’, he showed early signs of his passion for a unified Germany.
- Before fully entering politics, Kohl gained experience in the business world. He worked as an assistant to the director of a foundry and later as a manager for the Industrial Union for Chemistry based in Ludwigshafen.
- Kohl’s political career officially began in 1946, when he was just 16 years old. He joined the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and became involved in the party’s youth organisation, the Junge Union, co-founding its Ludwigshafen branch in 1947. He steadily rose through the party ranks. In 1953, he joined the board of the Palatinate branch of the CDU. The year after, he became vice-chair of the Junge Union in Rhineland-Palatinate.
- In 1955, he ran for a seat on the board of the Rhineland-Palatinate CDU. Despite losing the election, he secured a delegate position through his local party branch. During his initial years in the position, he aimed to modernise the party and appeal to the younger generation.
- By 1959, Kohl was elected to the Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate. He was also elected to the municipal council of Ludwigshafen in 1960. He solidified his position in the CDU when he became chairman of its parliamentary group in the Landtag and in the Rhineland-Palatinate in 1963 and 1966, respectively.
- Kohl’s rise to prominence culminated in his election as Minister-President of Rhineland-Palatinate in 1969, becoming the youngest person to hold the position. During his tenure, he focused on economic and educational reforms to modernise the state. In 1973, Kohl’s political career extended to the national level when he was elected chairman of the CDU.
Personal Life of Helmut Kohl
- In 1948, Kohl met linguist Hannelore Renner at a dancing class. After a long courtship, the two eventually got married in 1960, although Kohl initially proposed to her in 1953 but waited until he was financially stable to make it official.
- In 1963, the couple had their first child, Walter. Two years later, their second child, Peter, was born. Hannelore was an integral part of Kohl’s life, not only as his wife and the mother of his children, but also as his trusted adviser.
- Hannelore was fluent in French and English, which aided Kohl during his political dealings. Similar to Kohl, she advocated for German reunification. She also believed in the importance of NATO and Germany’s alliance with the United States.
- Beyond politics, the couple shared a love of German cuisine, with Hannelore even editing the cookbook A Culinary Voyage Through Germany, featuring commentary from her husband.
- Both of the couple’s sons pursued education in the United States. Walter attended Harvard University and Peter attended MIT. Both of them built successful careers in finance. Walter worked as a financial analyst for Morgan Stanley in New York City and later co-founded a consulting firm with his father. Peter pursued a career in investment banking in London.
- Walter has been married twice, first to Christine Volkmann, with whom he has a son, Johannes, and later to Kyung-Sook Kohl née Hwang. Peter is married to Elif Sözen-Kohl and they have a daughter named Leyla.
- For many years, Hannelore suffered from a debilitating light allergy called photodermatitis. In 2001, she took her own life, which devastated her family greatly, especially Kohl.
- Seven years later, while recovering from a serious head injury that left him with impaired speech and limited mobility, the 78-year-old Kohl married Maike Richter, a former Chancellery employee who was 44 years old. Their marriage created a rift in Kohl’s family as his sons claimed that he had never intended to marry Richter and that she had only taken advantage of his vulnerable state.
Chancellor of West Germany
- Despite Kohl’s failure in early election bids due to internal party conflicts, he continued to pursue the Chancellorship. The opportunity finally came in 1982 when the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) started to decline because of the Free Democratic Party’s (FPD) withdrawal of support for SPD chancellor Helmut Schmidt.
- Kohl seized the opportunity to organise a constructive vote of no confidence that ousted Schmidt and installed Kohl as Chancellor. This marked the first and only time in German history that a chancellor was removed in this manner.
- Kohl solidified his mandate by calling for new elections just a month after taking office. This tactic proved successful as he secured victory in the 1983 election. He became Chancellor of Germany for 16 years, from 1982 to 1998. His first cabinet was from 1982 to 1983.
- Kohl’s second cabinet, from 1983 to 1987, focused on economic reform and strengthening West Germany’s international influence. He pursued policies to reduce government spending, curb inflation and stimulate private investment. He also prioritised improving ties with Western allies, particularly the United States under President Ronald Reagan, and reaffirmed West Germany’s commitment to NATO.
Kohl in 1990
- He also allied with French President François Mitterrand. Their meeting at Verdun in 1984 symbolised French–German reconciliation. Together, they championed projects like the Eurocorps and Arte, and their alliance was important for the later achievements of the Maastricht Treaty and the euro.
- Kohl’s third cabinet, formed after his re-election in 1987 until 1991, was during the height of the Cold War and the eventual fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He used this opportunity for his advocacy on German reunification by presenting a Ten-Point Plan.
- This period of his Chancellorship also saw internal challenges within the CDU, with him successfully defeating Heiner Geißler’s attempt to take over his position as party leader. Kohl continued to address domestic concerns, including environmental protection and social welfare. His leadership culminated in the formal reunification of Germany in 1990, earning him the title Chancellor of Unity.
German Reunification
- With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, reunification of Germany suddenly became possible. Nonetheless, the process was complicated, as East Germany and West Germany had been separated for 45 years. Because they had contrasting economic and political systems, the two nations needed to negotiate before allowing reunification.
- West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and East German Prime Minister Lothar de Maiziere were key figures during the negotiations. When the Soviet Union’s control of East Germany ended, Kohl began to support the unification of the two German states. On 28 November 1989, he announced his 10-Point Plan to reunify Germany.
10-Point Plan:
- Assistance for refugees and a new dimension of transit travel
- Economic, scientific, cultural and technological cooperation with the GDR
- Abolition of SED’s monopoly of power and demand for free and equal elections
- Contractual association between two Germanies through the establishment of joint institutions
- Development of confederate structures between the two states in Germany to create federal order
- Development of inner-German relations
- Enforcement of pan-European development
- Employment of CSCE (Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe) as the core process in pan-European development
- Acceleration of disarmament and armament control to keep political development
- Achieving reunification through self-determination
- Following the presentation of the 10-Point Plan, Kohl visited Gorbachev in Moscow in February 1990 to ensure that the Soviet Union would not hinder the reunification process. The East German CDU won the election a month later, promising to quickly reunify with West Germany.
- In May 1990, Kohl signed an economic and social union treaty with East Germany. This treaty stated that reunification would proceed under Article 23 of the Basic Law, allowing for a quicker merger of the two states.
- During the reunification process, Kohl secured assurances from Gorbachev that a reunified Germany could choose its international alliances, although he also stated his intention for it to stay in NATO and the EC. Furthermore, he addressed concerns about Germany’s borders by confirming that old German territories in Poland would remain Polish.
- Finally on 3 October 1990, East and West Germany were formally reunified. This increased Kohl’s popularity even more as he led the CDU to a landslide victory in 1990 during the first free and fair elections in a unified Germany since the Weimar Republic era.
- Kohl formed his fourth cabinet and continued to lead Germany through the challenges of integrating the former East Germany. He was re-elected in 1994 and his government oversaw significant milestones such as securing Frankfurt as the seat for the European Central Bank.
- However, the challenges of reunification eventually took their toll on Kohl’s popularity. He was defeated in the 1998 federal elections by Gerhard Schröder, ending his 16-year tenure as Chancellor.
Architect of European Integration
- Kohl’s commitment to German reunification began with his experiences in post-war Germany. The devastation felt because of the war led him to believe that a united Europe was the best solution to avoid future conflict. This belief was central to his political party CDU that advocated for a strong Germany within a united Europe.
- Kohl’s alliance with French President Mitterrand was particularly significant to European unity. One of their most significant achievements was the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, which officially established the European Union (EU) with the aim of closer political and economic cooperation.
- Another major achievement was the creation of the euro, the single European currency. Kohl believed that the euro would boost the economy of Europe and bring its people closer together. He negotiated the terms of the single currency and persuaded German citizens to give up the Deutsche Mark.
- Kohl also supported expanding the EU to include Central and Eastern European countries after the fall of the Iron Curtain. He championed greater cooperation among European nations in defense and foreign policy. In recognition of his contributions, Kohl was awarded honorary European citizenship in 1998.
Controversies, Retirement and Death
- Despite Kohl’s contribution to German reunification and European integration, his political career was not without limitations. One of the controversies surrounding him involved illegal campaign financing. In the late 1990s, it was revealed that he had accepted millions of Deutsche Marks in anonymous donations to the CDU.
- This scandal damaged his reputation and led to calls for his resignation. Although he eventually stepped down as CDU chairman in 1998 and retired from the Bundestag in 2002, he refused to apologise and fully explain his actions. This scandal impacted public perception of him within Germany, but his international reputation remained largely intact.
- The scandal also affected his relationship with his protégée, Angela Merkel, who had been appointed to his federal cabinet. She publicly criticised him for his handling of the affair, calling for a fresh start for the CDU.
- In 2008, Kohl suffered a severe stroke and head injury, leaving him partially paralysed and with difficulty speaking. While in the hospital recovering from this injury, he married his partner, Richter. This second marriage sparked further controversy because of accusations against Richter’s controlling behaviour.
- Despite these controversies and his declining health, Kohl remained active in various ways. His health continued to deteriorate in his later years, and he passed away on 16 June 2017, at the age of 87 at his home in Ludwigshafen.
- Kohl was honoured with an unprecedented European act of state in Strasbourg, France. A Catholic requiem mass was held in Speyer Cathedral, and he was laid to rest in the Cathedral Chapter Cemetery in Speyer. However, the funeral was marked by a notable absence of his family members due to their rift with Richter.
Frequently Asked Questions About Helmut Kohl
- Who was Helmut Kohl?
Helmut Kohl was a German politician who served as Chancellor of West Germany from 1982 to 1990 and reunified Germany from 1990 to 1998.
- What role did Helmut Kohl play in German reunification?
Kohl was instrumental in negotiating the reunification of East and West Germany in 1990. He worked with world leaders such as Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union and George H. W. Bush of the United States to secure international support for a unified Germany.
- How long was Helmut Kohl in office?
Kohl served as Chancellor for 16 years (1982–1998), making him the longest-serving German Chancellor since Otto von Bismarck.