Helmut Schmidt: Biography, Political Views

In November last year, the media reported the death of Helmut Schmidt, ex-Chancellor of Germany (from 1974 to 1982). In the obituary, an outstanding politician is represented by a man who took the reins of government in a difficult time for her and largely contributed to the fact that the following years for Germany and the whole of Europe have become much more life-affirming.

Helmut Schmidt is an outstanding world politician whose importance is often underestimated. Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember the decisive role of its activities in the modern arrangement of international relations.

"Symbol and conscience of the nation"

In December, he was going to celebrate the 97th anniversary. The Chancellor, who shared with his country its postwar history and defined the main milestones of its future development. He was considered almost immortal. He was a living legend, "the symbol and conscience of the nation," whose authority was indisputable.

Journalists called him "a metronome, according to which Germany ... measured its steps."

The way Helmut Schmidt passed is the way in which the Chancellor for many years led the people of Germany from errors and mistakes to redemption and real success.

The time of his power has long since come. But the Germans still use cheap Siberian gas, a huge Russian market and other useful things - the practical and intellectual heritage left to the state by German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt.

On the current crisis

At one time, Schmidt held the posts of the Minister of Defense, Economics and Finance, was the head of the Foreign Ministry of Germany. He is considered one of the most outstanding world politicians of the twentieth century, who was never deceived by political flair.

"Currently ... Europe is going through a crisis, things are not the best way," the politician assessed the European problems related to the recent sensational coup in Ukraine, in one of the latest interviews. The project of the Ukrainian Euro-Association, the former chancellor, who was always famous for his directness, called "stupidity" and "geopolitical childishness", the consequences of which for Europe and the world are not predicted in the best way. The reason for this was, according to Helmut Schmidt, a gradual decline in the "quality of European leaders." According to the politician, expressed during one of the last conversations with journalists, the actions of the modern European Parliament, as well as individual world politicians, connected with the recent history of the EU-Ukraine relations, "leave much to be desired." This is the opinion of a man who successfully conducted his country through the many challenges that have fallen to her lot.

To speak and act contrary to the generally accepted fashion of Western international politics he was allowed a decisive uncompromising character and vast experience.

Helmut Schmidt: Biography

The future chancellor of the federation was born in 1918 in the family of German teachers. His origins have long been shrouded in mystery, and only after exchanging the seventh decade, Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt confessed that he is a descendant of an illegitimate Jewish half-blood adopted by a German Protestant couple. Maintaining the secrets of his Jewish origin probably saved the life of a young man in the era of Nazism.

On the attitude towards Nazism

This question - the attitude of the Chancellor to Nazism - was raised more than once. In his biography, as in the biographies of many Germans of his generation, this subject is present.

It is known that during his teenage years Schmidt was involved in the Hitler Youth, but he avoided membership in the Nazi Party and, because of "defeatist statements", serving on the officer's post in the anti-aircraft forces during the Second World War, was repeatedly disciplined.

In 1945, surrendered to the Allies.

Study, politics

On liberation, he is far from being young, he enters the university, where he studies political science and law and simultaneously begins to head the student cell of the Social Democratic Party.

He works in the Hamburg city economic department, since the early 50's is a member of the Bundestag.

During his tenure as Minister of the Interior of Hamburg (mid-60's) he was famous for being able to overcome the consequences of a natural disaster - the famous flood of 1962. To increase the effectiveness of rescue work, Schmidt, bypassing the law, involved the participation of the army.

Takeoff

This was the beginning of a rapid rise in his career: Schmidt becomes deputy chairman of the SPD, then Minister of Defense in the government of Willy Brandt and his closest associate. After the scandalous resignation of the Federal Chancellor, among the team of which a scout from the GDR was found, in 1974 Schmidt took his post.

The Chancellor

At the Chancellor's post, meeting with numerous challenges, Helmut Schmidt multiplied Brandt's achievements in foreign policy and economy: he developed friendly ties with the USSR, the GDR, trade with the East. In 1975, as one of the leading Western leaders, the politician participates in the Helsinki Conference on Security and Cooperation.

The contribution of politics to the cause of European integration can not be overestimated.

Contradictions of domestic policy

The SPD was torn apart by ideological differences between the right and the left, requiring radical reforms. Despite this, for eight years the Chancellor manages to keep the party in power.

Economic tests

Due to the skillful actions of the country's leadership, in the 1970s the FRG went through trials that were more difficult for the world economy than other countries. Chancellor Helmut Schmidt combined a moderate tough financial policy with the support of weakly protected masses: in the years of his rule, the amount of pensions, benefits, social payments increased, and the necessary privileges were granted.

"German Autumn"

In the 70s, Schmidt had to take very serious domestic political decisions: the left extremist terrorist organization RAF (the "Red Army Faction"), responsible for more than three dozen high-profile murders, kidnappings, explosions, and bank robberies, was activated.

In 1977, terrorists attempted to hijack a passenger aircraft. The Chancellor did not fulfill the demands put forward by them. The special forces sent by him liberated the liner by storm.

Certain forces in parliament demanded, in order to strengthen the effectiveness of the fight against terrorists, to abolish certain democratic laws.

Schmidt replied as a true democrat: "We do not intend to bring freedom as a sacrifice to security." The resolute, tough position of the head of state towards extremists added to him popularity, and the German people was regained confidence.

Resignation

In the 80's, Schmidt supported NATO's retaliatory intentions to strengthen the arms race in the USSR to deploy Pershing missiles on the territory of Germany. His foreign policy position, as well as the reduction in budget expenditures, led to the fact that the Chancellor turned away from the Allies and was given a no-confidence motion. In the history of the FRG Schmidt is the only Chancellor who resigned not as a result of defeat at the elections, but because of the loss of allies.

"Zeit"

In retirement Helmut Schmidt became the author of several books on his life and politics, he became one of the co-publishers of the German Zeit magazine, founded several international forums on politics and economics. He was often invited to the media, bringing to the German public the views of the former chancellor on a wide range of issues.

The Ukrainian question

As for international politics, the former chancellor continued to uphold his position of adherent to non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states.

Until the last time, Schmidt continued to remain faithful to the principle of expressing his views directly and sharply, without regard for possible grievances.

In 2014, in connection with the famous events in Ukraine, the 95-year-old ex-chancellor appealed to European political leaders not to repeat the tragic mistakes of the past, referring to the two past world wars, and by making joint efforts to move away from the dangerous for the world line .

The politician mercilessly criticized the actions of EU and US leaders concerning Ukraine, and defined Brussels's policy as "megalomania". In an interview with a German newspaper, Schmidt stressed that the initiators of the course for Ukrainian European integration did not take into account the significant differences in the culture and history of the western and eastern population of the country.

In June 2014, the politician criticized the decision not to invite to the summit in Bavaria, which was attended by the leaders and foreign ministers of Germany, as well as a number of European countries, President Vladimir V. Putin.

Sanctions against Russia politician called stupidity and said that he perfectly understands the actions of the Russian Federation in the Crimea.

The politician negatively assessed the results of the meetings, in which the leaders and foreign ministers of Germany and European countries took part, complaining that his country, among other EU countries and the United States, had become one of the participants in the violation of international law. In such a violation, the ex-Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany considered the intention to "expand the EU at the expense of Ukraine" and other former Soviet states, the desire to split the CIS.

During the talk show on one of the TV channels, Helmut Schmidt placed political emphasis in the relationship between the European Union and the Russian Federation. In his opinion, "not Russia, but the USA is a particular danger in the world".

At the height of the Ukrainian crisis, an outstanding German politician supported the head of the Russian Federation V.Putin, having paid him a friendly visit in Moscow.

Personal

Schmidt always loved art, played beautifully on the piano and organ, as evidenced by the preserved records of his amateur concerts. He was interested in philosophy and painting, he continued painting successfully until his advanced age.

Helmut Schmidt: family

Here they are on the screen: Schmidt and his wife Hannelore - Loki, as throughout her life affectionately called not only friends, but all Germans. Two very elderly people, each with a cigarette in his hand - he with a cane and a hearing aid, she with a special device for walking. So they sit down and join hands. It's hard not to admire them in an age of swift divorce and permissiveness.

They were friends from school. Married in 1942-m. We experienced many things together, including war and death from meningitis in the 45th of their firstborn.

Independent and determined Loki in her childhood protected and protected the small and frail Helmut. Then she earned her living by teaching, while her husband went to university and made a career, up to the 74th, when he took up the Chancery. Now she began to protect and protect her husband's companions from his sharp and categorical nature, for which he received the nickname "Sisters of Mercy".

Daughter Suzanne, a journalist, lives and works in London.

Loki did not live up to the 70th anniversary of marriage, died at the age of 91.

In 93, Helmut Schmidt entered into a civil marriage with Ruth Loach (younger than him for 14 years).

Confession

About him write articles and books, create documentary films. More than once he was elected the man of the year, on the 95th anniversary he was awarded the Peace of Westphalia.

All his life, Schmidt was an avid smoker. In Germany, where smoking is forbidden in public places , an exception has always been made for the elderly former chancellor: Schmidt was allowed to smoke even during the live broadcast of television programs. Journalists repeatedly asked him about the dangers of smoking, to which the politician objected that it was too late for him to worry about it. Once the presenter invited him to switch to electronic cigarettes. Schmidt replied: "Why should I do stupid things?"

Stupidity for all his long life and political career he successfully managed to avoid.