Franz Josef Strauß

Franz Josef Strauss (1915–1988) was without doubt one of the most influential figures of the West German Republic. After his time as Minister for Special Affairs (1953-1955) he was successively head of the Ministry for Atomic Issues (1955–1956), the Defence Ministry (1956–1962) and the Finance Ministry (1966–1969). Later, during his time as Prime Minister of Bavaria (1978–1988), he stood as a CDU/CSU faction candidate for the Federal Chancellorship in the 1980 election. As a politician Strauss was always more than just a departmental minister or Bavarian premier, being also a constantly influential German figure in domestic and European politics. This book shows that Strauss was a committed European and a trailblazer for German unity. By examining the combination of his policies on Germany, the Eastern Bloc and Europe, it fills a significant gap in the academic literature. Particular attention is given to the granting by the West German state of bonds worth billions of marks to East Germany in the early 1980s, making use of previously overlooked sources and archives. Thirty years after Reunification, this places Strauss’s ideas and actions in a new light, so that even his former political opponent Egon Bahr posthumously attested: “Hats off! Well done!” The book’s value is enhanced by many interviews with political colleagues and contemporaries.