Original subtitles

Europe's best-guarded plants are in Bonn's Federal Chancellery garden.

Two kilometres away is the Rheinhotel Dreesen.

1938.

A crisis of war and peace.

British Prime Minister Chamberlain sells a whole country to Hitler.

The Czech Republic.

The politics of "appeasement." Either it leads to peace

and must be seen through, or to war and was wrong to start with.

This is room no. 12, where Hitler stayed during negotiations.

What counts is the roof over our heads, our life.

How lucky we are to have lived to see this day!

When will I get to see the Führer?

On the banks of a river across the border lies Braunau am Inn.

The German people have become cautious.

Our lives are guarded by politicians.

What politicians actually do remains unseen.

It's not done in public. It's only public in the beginning,

when they face the press.

A candidate has been making appearances lately.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,

who's the most cautious of all?

THE CANDIDATE

Flowers for Mum, Strauss for us all!

Passau. Ash Wednesday, 1980.

... and to his dear wife, Marianne Strauss,

welcome!

I'm often elsewhere.

This winter, there was murder in the air. I gave an urgent warning.

I think that this honourable visit

is a good sign of the recognition of and appreciation for

our candidate for Chancellor, Franz Josef Strauss.

They fought the Battle of Midway, they had their Pearl Harbour.

So they decided to put an end to Japanese military power!

And why, ladies and gentlemen? I'll tell you why.

Because the Americans had made a great error

by believing that by disarming the Germans and the Japanese,

then world peace would no longer be in danger.

Then peace would be unstoppable.

If only there were just two germs for diseases which need eradicating,

then people would be healthy until the day they die.

Except that the Germans and Japanese weren't the real, uh, the only germs.

Sure, the Japanese were warlike, militarily expansive and aggressive.

Hitler wanted the German Reich, the subjugation of its neighbours,

the extermination of the Jews. Yes, immoral, criminal policies.

Except that the Americans forgot, ladies and gentlemen, to consider

the function that the Germans and Japanese

have on their continent. A legitimate function.

Let's say that I've arrived at the Federal Chancellery.

My outer voice says, "I'm here. I'm staying. I'm settling in for good."

But as my inner voice, I say, "I want to leave. I don't like room service.

The power I fought for doesn't exist here.

My protagonist is considered dynamic. I'm considered hesitant.

The truth lies in the ambivalence of a soul that consists of us both.

I suggest a business trip to Japan."

In the second decade was World War I, in the fifth was World War Il.

My generation was born in the First World War

and marched in the Second World War. That's why we...

And I fought on the Atlantic and on the river Don.

... have an especially keen sense, barring ideological prejudice

or an obsession with utopian self-delusion,

an especially astute sense of when peace is in danger.

Special edition of the Communist People's Newspaper.

West Germany out of NATO! Peace treaty now!

Where Nazi rallies were once held, there's an air of festivity.

We left at 3.30 pm. - From where? - From Bamberg. With two buses.

What's your occupation?

I was an engineer, but now I'm retired.

What do you expect of the event? - Well, first of all,

he was a good State Premier,

and we hope that he'll become a real Federal Chancellor.

What do you mean by "real"? - Yes. Well...

We have high hopes for him.

He's one of the country's best minds. - Yes?

He has talents that are unmatched, even in the Federal Government.

What kind of changes do you expect? - First of all...

Well, in politics, and then I'd say,

a truly official community of peoples

among the overall population.

I'm thinking of Africa, and the masses of the poor...

who are...

up against problems they can't solve.

Do you mean the Third World, or the Third Reich?

The Third World, not the Third Reich. No, no. Retreat.

The Third World, the vast majority of African peoples,

and India as well...

... a government

which will finally depart

from foolish idealism and short-term goals.

Ladies and gentlemen, this year, it's about Germany!

I am determined to put all of myself,

all my mental and physical strength, into this campaign.

I'll use all democratic and political means.

We have to wake up our fellow citizens. Some are still asleep,

some would rather listen to the Pied Piper or to demagogues.

Ladies and gentlemen, the hour of truth and earnestness,

the hour of honesty has arrived. Thank you, and good-bye.

You are? - Alfred Scholl, carnie.

Since when? - Since my childhood in Passau.

And the horses?

Eight horses, three pigs,

four carriages,

a rabbit,

then a rooster,

two swans,

and that's it.

How long will you keep this up? - Till I fall over dead.

Born in 1915.

65 years old in 1980.

The candidate. Lean.

That's the start of his political career.

No more Reich government.

The German people overstep their own boundaries.

The movements are cautious. They always are.

The Soviet patrol. Experienced border crossers

avoid it with ease. Those caught face the Soviet Commandantura.

No real faith in the new borders.

They'll never really believe in them.

Highway marker 124.

Half bus-stop, half settlement,

it is a strange apparition where East meets West.

The Economic Council of the Unified Zones,

1948.

A kind of pre-parliament. Franz Josef Strauss, 33 years old,

delegate and district administrator specialising in youth matters.

Following his state visit to Italy,

Federal Chancellor Adenauer spoke at the CSU party convention.

His momentous speech dealt with German and international policy

in light of the threat from the East. In an appeal to the German people,

he said Germany must take a clear and decisive political stand.

He had this to say about Communism:

The Communists must be told up front

that the world's troubles stem from the Soviet Union and Communism.

After the catastrophe of 1945, we had assumed

there'd be a new start, with young foundations.

Now, in 1949, we have a 71-year old Chancellor Adenauer.

The '20s

were the heyday of his generation. Yet he governs the '50s and '60s.

The young Strauss. Passionate, with an understanding of power,

learns the basic tune from the old man.

Over the next years, he'll achieve much under the old man.

Special Minister, Minister of Nuclear Energy, Defence Minister.

One things remains unattainable: candidacy for Chancellor.

The young and the old man pretend it's not a tragic tradition

in Germany for old men to take away young men's positions.

Bonn, February 1952.

Several hundred Communists, among them women and youths,

tried to draw attention to themselves during parliamentary debates,

and attempted to break through police lines in front of Parliament.

In the end, the police were forced to clear the streets with water cannon.

Meanwhile, there was heated and dramatic debate in the chambers.

The Chancellor justified the military contribution.

It is my firm conviction, and that of every German

who has an objective perspective,

that there is only one solution

which will save us from the implacable policies

of the totalitarian Soviet Union,

only one salvation for us all:

to make ourselves so strong that Soviet Russia realizes

an attack could only be carried out at great risk to itself.

It wasn't Adenauer's best day.

164 times he took refuge in the phrase

"Ladies and gentlemen."

All of Germany followed the debate on military rearmament.

That afternoon, Franz Josef Strauss held a speech.

Until February 7th, 1952, nobody had considered him a military expert.

"Like a tank emerging from the woods, he crushed everything in his path."

That's how the FAZ newspaper described his performance.

Reinhold Meier of the FDP later said, "Whoever talks that way also shoots."

A parliamentary majority voted for rearmament.

From that day on, Franz Josef Strauss was considered a defence expert.

He congratulates the Chancellor on his victory.

Adenauer knows Strauss wants to be Defence Minister. But it's too early.

Strauss has to settle for less.

In 1953, he's named Special Minister. What that position entails is unclear.

But Adenauer wants the energetic young Bavarian in his cabinet.

When Strauss first takes his seat, he sits down in the first row,

where normally only the Foreign, Interior and Defence Ministers sit.

The public is amused by the young minister's queue-jumping.

The new cabinet is presented. It's Adenauer's second government.

Strauss rejected Adenauer's offers of the Transport Minister portfolio,

or that of Family Affairs Minister. Strauss wanted neither.

"That's not my family status." Special Minister was more like it.

The candidate is getting somewhere. Young, dynamic politicians are needed.

ATOMIC RAIN

Atomic bomb tests continue in the Nevada desert!

In order to test the feared atomic fallout,

U.S. troops were stationed several miles from the detonation site.

Since 1943, the U.S. has experimented with nuclear weapons. They hope

that the destructive force of nuclear power can be used for peaceful means.

A young, dynamic industry

demands young, dynamic figures.

In 1955 Strauss becomes the Republic's first Minister of Nuclear Energy.

Atomic energy is humanity's future, not a golden future, a better one,

if we can control the demon of atomic energy.

As long-standing leaders in science and industry, we Germans

should focus our attention and our efforts on this task.

The Minister at the opening of the first British nuclear power plant

in Calderhall. The Queen is present. People are optimistic,

the newsreel even more so.

One ton of uranium yields the same output as 10,000 tons of coal.

As the Queen has it in her power, so does humanity have it in theirs

to press the button and release the forces

that serve peace and true progress.

25 years later: Harrisburg.

... a national catastrophe was narrowly avoided.

A highly explosive gas bubble formed

in a reactor after a valve failed to close when fuel rods overheated,

and incorrect action was taken.

Radiation alarm. Another blow to the belief that anything is possible.

The candidate looks back.

Secondly, I take credit for the fact that, following

the failure, or rather collapse of the Third Reich,

and the ensuing 10-year hiatus imposed by the victors, that I,

as first Minister of Nuclear Energy, got nuclear energy back on track.

In one year, and I'm being modest,

we made good at least five, if not ten years.

And the build-up of the German Army. - Then Konrad Adenauer

called on me to take over the Ministry of Defence.

The Founding of the Green Party

Karlsruhe. January 12th-13th, 1980.

It's not at all typical of this congress

that such sensationalist images have to be generated.

What is typical for this congress? - Not this, in any case.

We think you're so out of touch with each other, and your agenda

contributes to the way you interact and talk to each other.

It's just too much. The vibes you get down there

are so heavy and overwhelming that there's no way the people

who talk about autonomy can possible attain it.

I can only say: Think about what's at stake.

Don't lose sight this weekend of the bigger picture,

or else it's pointless. We all must make this happen, even Herbert Gruhl.

On January 12th and 13th, the Greens found a new party in Karlsruhe.

Is this the fourth party, which Strauss had always wished for,

the one which he threatened with?

I'm just a member of the Greens. I'm a delegate,

but I'm not in the executive.

And the 'no' votes...

We'll now hear Rudolf Bahro, who's a guest speaker today.

I want to work together with Baldur Springmann.

Dear comrades and friends,

only with the very broad spectrum that serves as its base

will the Greens mount this momentous experiment, which is unprecedented

not only for West Germany.

Let's treat it with utmost care.

It's clear what makes this experiment so extraordinary:

It merges the potential of diverse forces, which in other countries

require the existence of at least two traditional parties.

I hereby declare that I'm joining the Greens.

The appearance by celebrities is welcomed by the media.

But the assembly now has the tough task of passing the party charter.

Any further motions for amendments? Go ahead.

Yes, if it's a motion to amend the draft.

Regarding this procedure...

I have the feeling that we've been caught off guard by this new...

First they want it to go fast, then they're caught off guard!

Is there anyone who opposes this amendment, dear friends?

It doesn't seem like... Yes, Max Winckler...

Back there. Someone in the back voiced his opposition.

So we demand the removal of

articles 173 to 176,

and the legalization of all sexual relations between adults and children

that are based on non-violence and mutual consent.

Thirdly, we demand the abolition of compulsory education!

600 pupils commit suicide each year. - Did you never attend school?

You can't make the same mistakes the others made in Herse.

It's exactly the same thing.

You want to do the same thing you accuse them of having done.

The party's on the way

to finding a solution

based on economic concepts you haven't even considered.

You haven't realized that the only radical economic alternative

is to be found with us. It's a start at least.

You haven't distanced yourselves from your economic concepts.

I have a little friend who's 11. He lives around the corner.

He used to follow us around when we went through the dump.

So he moved in with us, because his mum said

if he visited us again, she'd beat him to death.

So he hid out with us for six months, and I had a relationship with him.

He was 11 at the time.

I was much older. I really liked him. - How far did it go?

I just told you how far the relationship went.

Are you crazy? It's none of your fucking business.

Okay? What a stupid question.

I said I really liked the boy.

That's it, okay? See what this guy's up to!

What a nice guy you are! - And you're a criminal! I've exposed you.

Most go undetected.

Those are police techniques. - I'm pissed off at you too.

I need the press, or I can't find the kids.

It's the only way to reach them. - Sure. "I'm a doctor, don't worry."

"Calm down, kid, I'm a doctor." What do you think the doctors do to us?

Why don't you think? Think about disease.

Think about sickness, and how it comes about.

Sickness is everything that gives a person

a sign that's there's resistance inside him. Resistance is human.

It proves that people are still resisting.

And they turn it into strength, turn sickness into strength.

But physicians don't act until someone's sick.

But you have to act before you get sick.

It's about nature. Nature is being destroyed.

Before the atom bomb is dropped. You must start before it's dropped.

Will you stop generalizing? You shouldn't alienate people

who are willing to listen and to help you.

But you still nearly lost face. - No.

We can talk about it later. - What's your profession?

I'm a dentist in Gummersbach. - Why are you here? - I'm a Green.

I wasn't even counted.

I was... I was standing here! - That won't do.

Impossible! - You have to count me.

I can only count the people who are seated.

No!

While the founding of the Green Party goes on late into the night,

only a few metres away, in the Black Forest Hall,

a German Air Force ball is taking place.

This is a F-104 fighter jet. It was part of a fighter squadron.

As chance would have it, I myself

flew this very plane. I can tell by the number.

Fighter Squadron 32 in Lechfeld. - Have any ever crashed?

A few have crashed, but that's relative.

We used to have different planes, and they didn't crash any more

than the F-104s. - Was this Minister Apel or Strauss?

They were introduced under Strauss, and they're still flying today.

The follow-up model is the Tornado, which came later.

So they served well for 10 or 20 years?

That's right. And I have to say, it's the best plane I've ever flown.

History of Armament

Abridged version

"As long as I'm Chancellor, you won't be Defence Minister."

That's what Adenauer supposedly told Strauss. In 1955, when Strauss was

Minister of Nuclear Energy, he named Theodor Blank Defence Minister.

The Defence Minister's first visit to a training unit on January 13th

is also a chance to review his first two weeks in office.

Veteran volunteers stand at attention in ceremonial uniform.

10 years after the end of World War Il, there is rearmament.

This is the first crate of weapons.

Its almost ceremonial opening breaks with the routine procedure

of delivery and reception.

An American machine gun for the German infantryman.

One year later...

In four years, Defence Minister Blank wanted to build

a 500,000-man conventional army. Strauss had a different plan.

The Minister of Nuclear Energy wanted an army with nuclear capabilities.

He attacked Blank in articles and lectures.

After a year, the Defence Minister was sufficiently weakened.

Blank had to resign. Strauss had achieved his goal.

Changing of the guard in the West German Defence Ministry.

Federal President Heuss replaces Defence Minister Blank

with former Minister of Nuclear Energy Strauss,

and presents him with the certificate of appointment.

All over the world, the soldier has a respected position.

Here too, he should face neither overestimation nor defamation,

but should be allowed to do his job, which is to protect the nation.

Trust your soldiers. Trust your officers.

Headquarters of NATO Europe is

SHAPE, the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe near Paris.

The big wide world.

NATO. Supreme Headquarters. Strategy.

Rollback. Forward defence.

The Minister relishes his position. Number one in Europe. He says,

"If people don't like it here, they can go to the Soviet Zone." And,

"We live in a technical age in which the combined strength of our allies

is enough to erase the Soviet Empire from the map."

The Minister now had a grey BMW with chauffeur.

One day, he was in a hurry. He instructed his driver

to cross an intersection, although a police officer named Hahlbohm

hadn't given the go-ahead. The emergency brake of a streetcar

prevented a collision. The policeman noted the licence plate number.

So the Defence Minister declared total war on Officer Hahlbohm.

He demanded that the Commissioner and

Interior Minister take disciplinary measures. He had Hahlbohm's private

life investigated, and filed charges against him for willful recklessness.

All because his driver followed his wrong directions

and a policeman did his duty. "As Federal Minister," said Strauss,

"I demand to be treated differently than a market wench."

Of course he had more to do than flex his muscles against a traffic cop.

Under his leadership, the German Army became a highly modern army,

one of the strongest in Western Europe.

Defence Minister Franz Josef Strauss

visits regional headquarters in Northern Germany.

The last section of the bridge is put in place.

A modern army

needed modern weapons. Minister Blank had begun negotiations with "Hispano

Suiza," a Spanish-Swiss arms company, for the purchase of HS-30 tanks.

In 1957, Strauss ordered 10,680 of these tanks.

The tank had one cosmetic flaw. It didn't exist yet. What did exist

was a wood and cardboard model,

being inspected here by Adenauer, Strauss,

and interested officers.

Based on this model and some cryptic blueprints, the biggest arms deal

to date in West German history was signed. About a half billion marks.

The contract with the company, which had zero experience building tanks,

was drawn up by the lawyer Dr. Lenz, head of the CDU election campaign.

Rumours surfaced of huge bribes surrounding the HS-30 contract.

After numerous costly delays, the tank

was actually built. And on occasion it was actually used,

when the treads weren't torn,

or when other technical flaws didn't hamper its mobility.

The Federal Office of Auditing later compiled a devastating

report on the purchase of the tank.

An investigation committee was formed.

Treviranus, an arms dealer and former Reich minister, testified

that he notified Strauss that the awarding of the contract

was fraught with massive bribery. But it was left at that.

The HS-30 corruption affair was never cleared up.

Dr. Lenz, who himself supposedly received three million marks,

couldn't shed any light on the affair. He died

under mysterious circumstances in a seedy hotel in Naples.

THE BIG DAY

Little Cowboy Coney Has a black pony.

He rides across the meadows And through the green woods

And all the friendly beasts That live among the trees

Really like Coney Because he never shoots.

Even the big buffalo And the leopard too

And the grey grizzly bear... They all love Coney, I swear

Little Cowboy Coney With his black pony

All the animals ask him, "Coney come back oh so soon!

Coney come back oh so soon!"

A Starfighter is airborne.

Defence Minister Strauss.

He thinks it's a great plane.

Just what the German military needs.

Maybe it can carry nuclear weapons. He decides

that this plane must be acquired.

U.S. nuclear tests in the Sierra Nevada.

As former Minister of Nuclear Energy, now Defence Minister, Strauss

considers equipping the German Army with nuclear arms.

He says,

"West Germany's decision not to build nuclear weapons on German soil

stands. What is under debate is whether tactical nuclear arms

should be provided to the West German Army."

A vision of terror.

Parliamentary debate on nuclear arms.

In a nuclear climate, if I may say so,

everything will be different than in a climate

in which only Sir Isaac Newton's laws of nature are valid.

For this reason,

this question,

like every question

of its kind, raises the problem

of the relationship between morality and politics.

And it raises this problem

with all of its far-reaching

and tragic dimensions.

A protest movement against "nuclear death."

Unions demonstrate against nuclear arms for the German Army.

Defence Minister Strauss perfects

rhetorical smokescreen tactics.

The Federal Government neither demanded nuclear arms for the army,

nor did it offer to provide such weapons to the army.

The government would like this problem

to solve itself through the signing of a disarmament treaty.

Disarmament is delayed. The problem remains unresolved.

Famous nuclear scientists share their concerns with Adenauer and Strauss.

Strauss calls the inventor of nuclear fission, Otto Hahn, an old fool

who can't stop crying and loses sleep over Hiroshima.

The Americans aren't willing to equip Strauss' army with nuclear arms.

But Strauss still wants to buy a plane that can be turned into

a nuclear bomber. He orders the Starfighter from Lockheed.

Strauss asks Lockheed to hire his old friend Ernest Hauser

as a middleman. Strauss met Hauser just after the war

in Schongau in Bavaria.

As a U.S. officer, Ernest Hauser had led a military secret service unit.

He helped Strauss become District Administrator. Strauss was Hauser's

best man and his son's godfather. Today Hauser lives in Arizona.

Were you friends with him? - I'd say so. We developed

a cordial relationship.

He and I talked a lot,

and he explained that he needed a liaison with Lockheed.

So he intervened on your behalf. - Yes.

The Starfighter, which was a fair weather fighter jet,

was turned into a nuclear bomber, a surveillance plane,

a night-time fighter, and five other types.

Later, many of those planes crashed. What were the reasons?

That's simple. The plane was a fantastic fair weather...

fighter, but it had too big a load, it was overwrought.

It was a plane that was impossible to fly,

with all that weight.

The German Army bought 949 Starfighters, model 104-G.

G is for Germany. 1000 more of the same plane were sold

to other NATO countries.

Hauser testified to an American inquiry about alleged bribes paid

to the CSU. Franz Josef Strauss and the CSU

always denied these allegations.

Hauser's claims of payments to the CSU have never been proven.

His information about bribes made to Dutch, Italian

and Japanese politicians, however, have turned out to be true.

The Defence Minister at the peak of his career.

He congratulates Adenauer on his 85th birthday.

The military birthday visit ends

with the German Army Musical Corps

playing the new "Starfighter March" for the first time.

Today, the Starfighter March is rarely played.

A German Army film celebrates the plane with a musical montage.

To date, 200 German Starfighters have crashed, killing 96 pilots.

Over 7,000 kilo pounds of thrust

is provided by the General Electric jet engine, giving the Starfighter

top speeds of between 1300 and 1500 miles an hour

and carrying the 10-ton plane, despite its short wingspan,

to altitudes of nearly 100,000 ft.

The unbridled forces of nature are unleashed upon the West Coast.

From British Columbia to San Francisco, a hurricane raged

with wind speeds of up to 175 miles an hour.

Chancellor Adenauer visits the U.S. President. The German head of state

paid a short visit to the White House

to discuss international and German politics with President Kennedy.

U.S. surveillance planes over Cuba took pictures which brought the world

to the brink of war. Soviet launchers of mid-range missiles

on the sugar island, only miles from the U.S. coast.

While the world was on the verge of nuclear war, the Defence Minister

of the Federal Republic of Germany was drunk.

At an event hosted by the Federal President on the night of Jan. 24,

1962, Strauss, in his inebriated state, gave a taste

of what his press speaker called an ironic commentary.

Strauss said the Parliamentary Vice President Carlo Schmid belonged

in jail, Helmut Schmidt as well, and the parliamentary leader

of the SPD faction, Gerhard Jahn, should be hanged.

The Overthrow

Two days later, the police showed up at the office of Spiegel magazine.

They came at night and occupied it as if it were an enemy base.

The suspicion was treason, seditious forgery,

and bribery. They conducted a search and confiscated supposed evidence.

They searched the editor's office, the broom closets, the library,

the archive, the culture section, the toilets,

the fire escape, legal department,

photo lab, accounting office and distribution, 209 employees' desks.

And there the police stayed.

Siegfried Buback, Chief Prosecutor at the Federal Court of Justice,

had Spiegel editor Rudolf Augstein arrested and jailed for 3 months.

Like Augstein, half a dozen Spiegel editors ended up behind bars.

The justification for the police operation:

the title story of October 10, 1962 about the NATO manoeuvre FALLEX 62.

Under the headline "Fit for Action?" the Spiegel attacked Minister Strauss'

defence strategy and its nuclear orientation.

Advisors for Strauss found that the article contained state secrets.

The Federal Prosecutor took over the case. At least it appeared so.

There was no minister involved, with exception of...

Ladies and gentlemen, can't we just get along?

It would make things so much easier.

There was no State Secretary involved in the search and seizure.

Gentlemen, I only state the facts.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation was involved.

And then came the famous sentence:

There is a pit of treason in this country!

Who says so? - I say so!

I say so, yes.

Because, ladies and gentlemen,

a publication that has

a circulation of 500,000

is involved in

systematic high treason just to make money.

The public saw it more as revenge by Minister Strauss against the Spiegel.

The Spiegel had reported on the 'Uncle Alois Affair.'

An acquaintance of Marianne Strauss named Alois Brandenstein suddenly,

in the dead of night so to speak, became very rich. He'd been poor,

and had borrowed money for a decisive trip to Bonn.

Through his family contacts to Marianne Strauss,

he met the army's chief purchaser, General Becker, here on the left.

Uncle Alois soon began brokering million-mark arms deals.

According to his chauffeur, he carried cases of cash with him.

Soon Uncle Alois could afford a big house. In Switzerland, too,

a small one.

Strauss countered the accusations that he profited from Uncle Alois

with a sworn oath made in an ensuing court case.

Quote: "The claim or insinuation that I'm corrupt, that I embezzle money

or illegally accept money is false. Signed,

Franz Josef Strauss.

A failed architect named Lothar Schloß,

who was involved in all kinds of unsuccessful Middle Eastern deals,

met the New York broker Brach.

Together with Hans Kapfinger, the publisher of a Passau newspaper,

he wanted to build housing for U.S. troops in Germany.

Kapfinger provided the necessary know-how. He was a good friend

of Defence Minister Strauss. With the minister's blessing,

they founded 'Finanzbau AG,' or FIBAG for short.

Strauss helped secure U.S. Defence Department support, which was

essential to build U.S. Army barracks. He wrote FIBAG manager

Lothar Schloß a recommendation

to present to the Americans.

"I welcome and support the implementation of this project,

as it reflects common interests and a mutual plan. Strauss."

There was also an investigation into the FIBAG affair.

The Spiegel article spelled the end of the dream project.

Of course Strauss denied accusations

that he provided illicit support for the 300-million mark project.

His letter was standard procedure. As usual in investigative committees,

the parliamentary majority appointed the chairman and formed

the majority, so Strauss was acquitted on all counts of corruption.

That was just before the Spiegel Affair.

What was positive about your policies and what would you judge as negative?

I might not have,

while planning a certain decision,

considered the overall picture,

the circumstances and the pros and cons.

You mean the Spiegel affair? - Yes I do,

but I'd like to add that there are two Spiegel affairs.

One is the affair as it was portrayed in public,

the other is the affair as it really took place.

The Spiegel Battle

This is how the weekly news reported the Spiegel affair:

These days, with fears rampant of both a right-wing

and a left-wing state, opinions differ.

Among the most questionable positions

was a resolution of the Group 47, which used literary language

to spread political nonsense.

It declared the betrayal of military secrets to be a moral duty.

What began as a panel discussion ended with demolished seats

in a Hamburg University auditorium. Police prevented more chaos.

Some key errors were made, much to the audience's discredit.

Democracy was mistaken for tumult, the Spiegel for freedom, and

I ask you, dear residents of Hamburg and elsewhere...

Hello!

Quiet down! Quiet down!

Above all political debate is the accusation of treason.

Whether it is justified will be decided by Justice.

In the end, the treason case against the Spiegel was dropped.

The main topic of discussion became the methods

Even the Hamburg senator Helmut Schmidt had doubts about

the trial's legality. In footage not broadcast

on the weekly news, the following scene was found:

It's not my position to judge whether certain actions,

taken by government organs from out of town

here in Hamburg, were legal or not.

I have my own personal opinion,

but since I'm responsible for ensuring that Hamburg's police

does their duty, I won't speak in public about that.

The pit of treason turned out to be

a pit of illegality. Justice Minister Stammberger of the FDP

was illegally sidelined. His State Secretary, CDU,

had consorted with the Defence Ministry behind his back.

The case clearly shows that the Justice Minister,

who is responsible for upholding constitutional principles,

was not informed in time. The State Secretaries involved

have taken full responsibility for their actions.

Today they have requested to be relieved of their duties,

or to be given leave. This request will be granted.

The arrest of Spiegel reporter Conrad Ahlers in Spain took place

under especially mysterious circumstances.

The German Embassy's military attaché in Madrid, Lieut. Achim Oster,

and old buddy of Strauss, received telephone orders from Bonn

to order Ahlers' arrest by the Spanish police.

Was this operation carried out according to the usual practice,

or were special methods used?

There were no special methods used. This was

the most serious case of suspected treason in West German history.

This is why the Federal Prosecutor acted with great discretion.

This discretion was maintained at all times by the Interior Ministry.

Who first issued the instructions?

Under whose authority, on what legal premise,

and which particularities, did the arrest

of the German citizen Ahlers by Spanish authorities take place?

I'll repeat what I said yesterday, namely that it wasn't Mr. Dickopf,

as the Spanish side has claimed,

who called at 2 am, as it's stated in the first dispatch.

He didn't call to order this, and neither did Mr. Sebecke.

One official is still missing. He's abroad... on business.

He's on his way back, but I've not been able to ask him.

So it's a possibility...

I can't confirm my suspicions, but I'm following up on it,

in order to give you precisely the information you want.

While Interior Minster Höcherl flailed about in the fog,

one person knew for sure

who encouraged Lieut. Oster to arrange the illegal arrest of Ahlers.

Defence Minister Strauss. He himself had picked up the phone that night.

Sitting there mutely on the bench, he even led Chancellor Adenauer astray.

Gentlemen, if at any point

any official made a mistake,

then we shall calmly investigate and rectify that.

We shall correct it.

However, gentlemen...

Let us not, and I repeat this appeal...

Let us not endanger the arrest of men

that the country, the country's Federal Courts

have judged to be

prime suspects in a crime, based on the existing evidence.

Against this background, let us not

dwell on the question of procedural mistakes.

Ladies and gentlemen, let us not raise this question.

It does harm to the German cause all over the world.

Finally, Strauss himself testified. He tried to lie his way out of it.

That question implies an assumption that as such is not true.

But someone... someone must've given the instructions?

A German authority cannot possibly have given these instructions,

because all measures of this kind

are taken in accordance with national laws of the respective country.

Not until day 3 of the Spiegel debate did Strauss finally admit

that he himself was the one who called Attaché Oster in Madrid.

He told the parliament, "I was connected." That wasn't true.

In fact, he himself placed the call to Oster.

The only recording of this lie to parliament was made by German TV.

German public television refused to provide the footage for this film.

Later it became clear what lies Strauss had told to secure Ahlers' arrest.

Strauss said he was acting on behalf of the Chancellor and Foreign Minister.

who amazingly had already fled there. None of it was true.

Fritz Erler at a press conference:

This action was taken by, and under the sole authority,

of the Ministry of Defence,

to make an arrest on foreign soil with no clear legal basis.

I would almost say that by deceiving the Spanish authorities

and gaining a noncompulsory statement during a summary arrest,

in reality an abduction took place.

Suddenly, the Spiegel affair had become a Strauss affair.

The FDP withdrew its ministers from the CDU/CSU coalition.

Adenauer lost his majority.

There were nationwide protests against Strauss and his methods.

Under public pressure, the FDP showed unusual backbone.

The result was a new CDU/FDP government, but without Strauss.

The Federal Prosecutor investigating Strauss for abduction

established that he had objectively broken the law.

Minister Strauss, who some had already seen as Adenauer's successor,

was sent off with military honours.

Seemingly dead politically, Strauss retreated to his Bavarian fortress.

In life

In life Some shots are just off the mark

We may think

Yet others control your fate

In life, in life

There are always ups and downs

And that's why, in life

One needs a little luck

18 years later...

Hop, hop, Franz Josef we must stop!

Fresh from Alaska

Hanover, November 1979

The candidate visiting Lower Saxony's Federal Chancellery.

The young, aspiring Minister Albrecht had to yield to the older Strauss

for the candidacy. Since then, people consider them to be secret rivals.

No, I enjoy working here. - It must be quite enjoyable.

And if I have to work on Saturday, it's nice and quiet.

No phones ringing. I'm not in the room where we used to be.

I thought so. It sure was small. - I'm next door.

It looks nice on the outside, but... - I'm next door. No idea why

Goppel vacated the bigger room and gave it to the Ministerial Director.

And then that foyer, which was a real pain for the two ladies,

especially when they'd have to bring us loads of books to sign.

Looked like a flea market stand. - You have the Director's old office?

Where press conferences were held? - Yes, exactly.

Despite the persistent, long-winded resistance of the bureaucracy.

Tea? Coffee? - Coffee. - Yes, coffee.

So how are we doing?

Bavaria and Lower Saxony haven't been this close since the Welfian dynasty.

Don't forget the press conference a few days ago.

How does it feel? - It feels good. These are

Germany's largest states by area.

What do you have in common?

Stubbornness, loyalty to homeland,

nature and to our principles. - Our national mentality.

And lots more. - Diversity. - A liberal conservative position.

And the churches aren't persecuted. - Exactly.

Not even the public television institutions are persecuted.

They either want State Premiers shaking hands or clinking glasses.

Or petting children. - Or that. - Or hugging cows.

Yes, that's even better. Much better.

The story of us being rivals is more from the world of illusion.

So, may we now? Good.

Do you know what I mean by world of illusion?

Our world. - No, that's... Well, yes and no.

The world of public relations is the world of illusion.

I received a query, I don't recall from which newspaper...

"What will you eat for Christmas?" And I'll say what others said,

Helmut Schmidt for example: "Sausages and potato salad!"

And Coca Cola. - Of course that's not true.

But this isn't about telling the public what I really eat,

it's about saying something that gives a guy the illusion

Even a person with a moderate income can eat lobster for Christmas,

but he won't tell you he does.

He might drive a BMW in secret, but he has to have a used VW

for his image, and he'll tell you he can't afford a new car.

That's the world of illusion.

Yes, we're having Christmas goose.

The Federal President goes marching.

Between Christmas and the New Year

The Federal President on his march across Germany.

Here he's on the banks of the Elbe Tributary Canal. Rain and wind.

The man with the red backpack is our Federal President.

He's the one waving.

Okay. We've made it this far.

And since you filmed us so nicely, we'll stop for a moment.

Thanks. Sorry you had to get wet. It was worse earlier.

It's got a bit better.

I think the rain's let up, don't you? - Yes, yes.

Or have we just got used to it?

Gentlemen, I'd say the rain's let up.

Hello, Mr. President. I'd like to explain something. I live here.

Two, three years ago, this was a nice path made of sand.

As you can see, it's all asphalt now.

Perhaps you remember. And here along the tracks was an earthen wall.

It's been removed, as you can see. - And now it's loud. - Exactly.

What kind of road are we walking on?

It goes along the tracks... - But it doesn't lead anywhere.

No, it's a one-way street. - How enviable! - No!

Look at what others put up with. - On the path the children were never

in danger of getting run over or anything.

You ought to compare yourself to others who are much worse off...

No, this is what I don't like. - You have to see the bigger picture.

I do. - This is a wonderful road. - I think it's great that you're

visiting the Lüneburg District, but in today's paper...

Today's paper is full of praise for the road builders.

I think... Here, let me show you. You ought to know what's going on.

I'll tell you something. Let's stop. Somebody stand in front of me.

Let me show you... - We don't want any publicity for...

I'm not working for anybody, I'm here as a private citizen.

While you're taking a walk, I want to take the opportunity... Here it is:

"B 209. A Delight for Drivers!"

A few turns were removed, the road was straightened.

The cost of the project was 3 million marks.

Listen, send it to my office in Bonn. I envy your beautiful road! - No!

Millions of Germans would love to live by such a beautiful road.

The people here fought for a sandy path, not for this asphalt.

My goodness, what a... All because of a little asphalt.

In the years 1962-1980

After a fall as extreme as that caused by the Spiegel affair, a man

is normally dead, politically speaking.

Is it on?

That rule doesn't apply when his power base is in Bavaria.

But you have... This has to be decided in the group.

We make the decisions.

You can spend a lot of time talking about it...

The future candidate still heads the CSU

and the CSU committee in Bonn.

Gentlemen, we've met here, we've discussed this for an hour,

talked about the pros and cons, weighed both possibilities,

and taken up your suggestion and agree unanimously to

do away with the "or" and keep the "and,"

and stick to the old constitution.

With this resolution, we have a quorum, and all 26 of us are happy.

I find it unacceptable, for lack of a better word... It's unacceptable

for a CSU committee member

who was instrumental in passing this resolution,

which sends a message to people that

the CSU committee will unanimously vote for this resolution,

to then say the exact opposite. - Not the opposite.

You supported... - I merely suggested an alternative.

You supported the government version. - That's not true.

I suggested an alternative.

He lives here, next to one of Bavaria's most beautiful churches,

in a former Benedictine monastery. Behind the house,

just outside his study, is the local cemetery.

were dedicated to studies.

Strauss' favourite reading includes Herodotus, which he reads

in original Greek version, as well as Egon Friedell and Wilhelm Raabe.

Strauss' hobby: beautiful, fast cars.

The 1950s.

A group of models at a clothing factory in Salzgitter in 1952.

A fashion label sends four mannequins to a factory

and up to the world's highest and most impractical catwalk.

The workers view what they produced.

We had exhausted all our energies in World War II.

Afterwards, we rebuilt the country in a mad frenzy.

Since learning is not all about school,

Mr. Smith teaches good table manners

as a permanent part of the lesson plan.

He's considered a man of the '50s.

His thoughts are occupied with the year 2000.

Politics in the 20th century are very polarized.

In 1980, Fred Tacke made his political voting decision

three seconds before his fatal car crash near Nuremberg:

"I'll never drive again."

"Seven minutes out of 16 years,

each of which were once minutes."

And next week's schedule?

You'll be back up on Monday afternoon?

Monday evening is the committee meeting. - Unfortunately.

And Tuesday, Wednesday? - Normal schedule. - Normal?

So you won't come back until Friday? - Right.

And then it starts up again Sunday? - Monday.

You do most of the correspondence. - I have one letter here.

... whether that participant is ready. - The one with...

With that gentleman... He should really want it by now.

Especially since certain people are gaining the upper hand.

They constantly get assistance, and that's just pointless.

It's all basically airy-fairy.

Did he name any names?

No, none. Besides the usual ones from the group.

Like I said, it's basically all quiet up there.

But don't forget, you could tell

by that one piece of information how imprecise he is.

Of course. - ... with the famous president.

Of course. Then just do it. By all means.

First I want to

take the time to dictate the article.

Cultivating language and melody

Ladies and gentlemen, whatever you call it, it's not about terminology,

although in the battle for terminology and language,

we can't allow ourselves to be pushed aside by the Socialists.

The setback we experienced in 1969 and the '70s

happened not least of all because others took control of language,

used language as a weapon,

and took terms and filled them with new content,

then used them as projectiles against us, not without success.

The battle for language is essential for intellectual self-assertion.

Tell people that this time, their fate is being gambled upon!

Tell them that they can no longer...

That nobody can withdraw from the impact of politics.

There is no more safe haven.

Tell the sorry, sleepy, sluggish, and slouching people in this country!

This house, ladies and gentlemen,

must be battened down

to withstand storm and fire over the next years!

And so I say: Good luck! God be with you, homeland of the Bavarians!

Unity and justice and freedom, for all of Germany!

The left faction of a minority of students, teachers,

educators, teaching assistants,

psychologists, political scientists, sociologists, they're the root cause!

They're not workers. They never held a shovel, a screwdriver in their life!

What does the profile of today's young Socialists look like?

Crackpot students, loose cannon academics,

ranting and raving educators!

Take the lidel for the ladle as the loodle de lidel.

Oodle aadle eedle, andeloodel, ogle aad Oodle, that Prussian swine!

Serving higher interests than for hussassa,

bing bong in fadeloop dulipalidle.

And now, my dear friends, doddle diddle dolittle, dering bing bong,

I'd like to bodle deydel over slabbalong...

the delarzel of Barzel.

But above all, I want to make it very clear

that with us, the pinkler, there is a lodel di yodel di ladel,

afta la bofta, det lidel didel hadel, di oozle or poodel, odle lede hadelo.

Essen, Autumn of 1979.

I hope that some of you, if you ever grow up,

will open your eyes and realize your stupidity,

realize that we're fighting for freedom with the same concern

as our fathers did before 1933.

You would be the best students of Dr. Goebbels,

the best supporters of Heinrich Himmler,

the best Nazis there ever were!

Strauss is no National Socialist.

Strauss stands to the right of National Socialism.

At the furthest point from Braunau, he speaks in Chile.

Make sure that freedom

in your country

is preserved, no matter who is attacking it.

Make sure that discipline, hard work, efficiency,

readiness to sacrifice, and camaraderie

create a flourishing Chile where every citizen can be proud to say,

"I am a free Chilean."

A fairy-tale from the Alps, a kind of dream.

In an Alpine valley

lies a former spa hotel, closed to the public.

This is where the candidate dreams.

A dream named Strategy. It's meant to lead him to Bonn.

I'm happy to have the opportunity, here in secluded Kreuth,

to talk openly and extensively about matters like...

content, style, strategy and our assessment of the campaign.

I think it's good. It's a good start for our campaign.

And we're confident

that come Autumn, the government in Bonn will be replaced.

Speech to young party members

in 1976, after a lost election

and the divorce of CDU and CSU.

Let me say one thing I know:

I will never be Chancellor.

I supported Helmut Kohl,

despite my knowledge

of his inadequacy

and only for the sake of peace, as candidate for Chancellor.

He will never be Chancellor. He is totally inept!

He has none of the prerequisites.

None whatsoever. But if need be, it's possible to govern with anybody.

Nobody

from the Young Union or the CSU ever took issue with the fact

that every debate about who's the best candidate... Forget me,

I'm thinking about Carstens,

not necessarily St. Oltenberg.

... that every discussion is stifled

by the unilateralism of Mr. Biedenkopf,

who, in order to make Köppler State Premier...

It's as if the Cathedral in Munich appointed the head altar boy

as Archbishop.

... declared, "Helmut Kohl is our candidate for Chancellor"?

For the life of me, I don't know

why... Now don't think I'm a megalomaniac, I'm just being frank.

... why those political pygmies in the CDU,

only fighting for their constituency,

those undersized dwarves,

those Reader's Digest politicians,

why they're outraged

about the Bavarian position. An army should realize

that if they've attacked the wrong front three times in a row,

they should attack somewhere else.

I can only warn you: Forget about the special party convention.

Forget all that back and forth.

When the special party conference is over, after heated debate,

I will declare a Free People's Party in the North of West Germany.

You can forget about me as chairman.

There is no going back. That would be a walk to Canossa, total submission.

You'll have to find another pansy, a coward,

a compromiser. Not me. There will be none of that with me.

For 15 years, I've led this party from one success to the next,

and if they don't want to continue, I'll turn to the party at large.

The letters I've received from members,

from Bavaria and beyond,

basketfuls of letters,

they prove that perhaps one day,

out of the swamp of fatty degeneration

run by petty bureaucrats and windbags in courtyards and pubs,

another generation will arise. Whoever fights against all that,

and I know it's almost like Hercules carrying the globe on his shoulders,

he has to discuss endlessly

why he wants to break out of this pygmy ideology,

this dwarf mentality.

Thoroughly insulted in this fashion,

his compatriots, three years later, elect Strauss as Chancellor candidate.

Holding Office

The Federal Chancellor is responsible for 8% of all societal issues.

The remaining 92% consist of life, private property or state concerns.

That amounts to 0.00013% of all global concerns,

which in 1000 years will add up to 1%.

I'm trying to imagine if I'd find it appealing to be Chancellor.

Is Mr. Zimmermann here already? - Yes, Mr. Zimmermann is here.

Arrival in the Federal Chancellery. Finally.

Now let the host through.

There are cosmetic flaws in the room.

This is about house security.

The residents are careful who they let in. They are cautious.

The wolf is having a hard time. He doesn't look like a nanny goat.

No politician in the world looks like the mother of these goats.

The wolf goes to the miller. "Put some flour on my paws."

The miller, thinking the wolf is up to dirty tricks, refused.

But the wolf threatened him, so the miller had to obey.

It's puzzling how the little goats could mistake the flour-covered paw

for their dear mother's hand.

In the fairy-tale, the wolf's stomach is cut open, and out jump 6 kids.

They sing, "The wolf is dead!"

That lasts until 1949, then the story starts over.

You can trust fairy-tales insofar as they express people's wishes.

I led the party so that it had the absolute majority for 15 years.

I can expect the party to listen

when I say what may be said, so that no harm is done,

when I don't say what may not be said or else harm would be done.

If I would tell all that I know,

then the CDU/CSU can go packing, then for the next ten years,

nobody need run for office.

"To gain a spot in the sun

is not easy.

Once it's attained, the sun's set."

... I'm ready to stop.

... I'm ready to do it...

A man wants to walk to Germany.

"Where do you want to go?" "I want to go to Germany."

We, the Germans, 2000 years old,

who have resided here since the great migration,

have often had different notions of our history.

But that was before elections.

It's about our life.

We wanted to rebuild our country so some of its history isn't repeated.

Those with no home

The SPD fights for your rights

Then we rebuilt the stock exchange.

The Frankfurt stock exchange, Germany's oldest,

was reopened with representatives of the Allied Powers in attendance.

Despite bomb damage, one hall remained intact.

Three times a week, brokers will note share prices,

thus helping to rekindle the culture of banking in Frankfurt.

I have no hidden,

secret or underground side to me.

There's no past I have to hide

or explain. With me, everyone knows what to expect.

Amidst Munich garages, an advertising agency designs the candidate's image.

- WITH OPTIMISM AGAINST SOCIALISM - A taste of what

to expect in the Autumn. - At least in the pre-election phase.

Now it's no longer freedom versus Socialism, it's optimism.

Is he only good for Bavaria, or for the Chancellery as well?

He's good for the Chancellery too. - Thanks to his political potency.

And also thanks to his truly...

... historical background,

and the possibility to project that onto the future.

What's so fascinating about Strauss is that he sees the bigger picture.

'Candidus': shiny white.

'Candidatus': cloaked in a pure white robe;

running for election, untainted by corruption, and therefore electable;

mature, maneuverable, without money.

That's how the Roman, in 80 BC, runs for election.

A candidate, shining white.

The attempted murder of SDS chief ideologue Rudolf Dutschke

triggered violent protest from thousands of youths, mostly students.

Their protest was mainly directed against the Springer group,

whom they claim monopolizes public opinion.

The student unrest can no longer be ignored.

The events in Berlin and abroad

must be dealt with by the generation of those responsible.

On both sides, much understanding and pragmatism will be needed

to heal the wound that runs through our nation.

The promise not delivered in 1945, and revoked in 1949,

erupts in 1968.

It will keep coming until it is delivered.

Go, Rudi,

all of you go, go in peace.

Earth to earth,

dust to dust,

On the day of the resurrection

of Jesus Christ,

He says,

"I am the resurrection and the life.

It is sown a natural body

and raised a spiritual body.

It is sown in dishonour,

and raised in glory.

May His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee.

May the Lord lift his countenance upon thee,

and give thee peace.

Amen.

Do not be become bitter In these bitter times

The rulers they do tremble

You may be behind bars for now But you do not suffer

No, you do not suffer

Don't let yourself be used up Use your time instead

You cannot disappear

You need us And now we need your happiness

We need your happiness

We refuse to remain silent In these silent times

Green erupts from the branches

We will show them all Then they'll all know for sure

Then they'll all know for sure

The other German state turns 30 too. A pompous birthday.

At the same time in the GDR,

the Soviets begin pulling out 1000 tanks and 20,000 soldiers.

At year's end, Chancellor Schmidt and State Secretary Honecker promise

mutual visits. A comforting notion...

The reserve fleet for Europe has just left American ports.

It is crossing the Atlantic.

West Germany's NATO chambers, where emergencies are dealt with.

At the Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, in the year 1806,

a person three kilometres from the battlefield could lunch in peace.

The troop pull-out was announced by the Soviet head of state

and party leader Leonid Brezhnev while visiting the GDR in October,

in order to improve the climate for disarmament talks.

The NATO decision to increase their weapons arsenal before negotiating

is seen by Socialist countries as disastrous.

New Year's Eve 1979/80. Three in the morning.

The candidate thinks in terms of centuries.

Many people are thinking of Christmas.

The history of our houses reaches back 2000 years.

They are destroyed in two nights.

Careful that it doesn't smear.

Spray a fixative on it.

Done with signing? - Yes.

Now I only need two more...

Good luck! Keep it up!

Really, keep it up!

Subtitles Peter Rigney

Film und Video Untertitelung Gerhard Lehmann AG