Helmut Kohl was rightly called the "Chancellor of Unification." The political leader of West Germany made a lot of efforts to overcome the national split of his homeland. He three times became chancellor of Germany. The policy of the Kohl government was aimed at mitigating the contradictions between Germany and the countries of the socialist camp.
From the biography of Helmut Kohl
The future Chancellor of Germany was born in the city of Ludwigshafen on April 3, 1930. He became the third child in the family of Hans Kohl, who served as a tax official. Helmut's father and mother were Catholics and raised children in strictness. At the same time, parents were opposed to the National Socialist idea. However, during World War II, the father of the future politician served in the Wehrmacht. In December 1944, Helmut was also assigned to a military training camp, but he did not take part in battles.
After the war, Helmut studied at the universities of Heidelberg and Frankfurt am Main, history, political science, philosophy and law. In 1958, Kohl became a doctor of historical sciences. The topic of his dissertation: the political development of Germany and the revival of parties after 1945.
Helmut Kohl's political career
Kohl began to engage in politics relatively early - in 1947 he became a full member of the Christian Democratic Union. The young man actively participated in the creation of the party’s youth organization in Ludwigshafen. Six years later, Helmut joined the CDU Executive Council in Rhineland-Palatinate, then became a member of the board and chairman of the branch of his city.
In 1959, Kohl was elected to the local parliament, where he became the youngest representative. For several years he led the Landtag party faction. Kohl did a lot to establish friendly relations between Germany and France. The initiatives promoted by the politician allowed the state of Rhineland-Palatinate to become a major industrial and scientific center of the country. From 1969 to 1976, Kohl was at the head of the government of this land.
On top of power
From 1973 to 1983, Helmut Kohl headed the Christian Democratic Union. During his leadership, the party adopted a program aimed at softening the position with respect to "Eastern politics." The goal of the CDU was to defuse tensions with the countries of the socialist camp.
In 1976, Kohl was elected to the German parliament and became the head of the CDU faction in the Bundestag.
October 1, 1982 Kohl, who at that time was 52 years old, became chancellor of Germany. During his reign, control over government spending tightened in the country. The Kohl government has limited state intervention in economic activity. The authorities began to focus on the development of new sectors of the economy - biotechnology and microelectronics.
Some measures of the Kolya government can be classified as unpopular. We are talking about toughening the law on strikes and reducing social spending.
Kohl made a significant contribution to resolving the issue of the reunification of the two German states. In the late 80s, protests against the socialist system began in the GDR. In November 1989, the Chancellor presented his plan for the unification of Germany, which included ten points. However, a real unification took place in October 1990 - faster than the chancellor planned.
During his political career, Kohl repeatedly visited the Soviet Union. At meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev, the German Chancellor signed documents that formed the basis for a new relationship between the two countries. Subsequently, Kohl met with Russian President Boris Yeltsin about two dozen times.
In the fall of 1998, the CDU party lost its leadership in the country. Helmut Kohl left a high state post, which he held for more than a dozen years.
