Helmut Kohl was rightly called the "Chancellor of the Association". The political leader of West Germany has made a lot of efforts to overcome the national divisions of his homeland. He became Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany three times. Kohl's government policy was aimed at softening 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 their children in severity. At the same time, the parents were opposed to the National Socialist idea. However, during the Second World War, the father of the future politician served in the ranks of the Wehrmacht. In December 1944, Helmut was also assigned to a military training camp, but he did not take part in the battles.
After the end of the war, Helmut studied history, political science, philosophy and law at the universities of Heidelberg and Frankfurt am Main. In 1958, Kohl became a doctor of historical sciences. His thesis: Political Development in Germany and the Rebirth 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 party branch of his city.
In 1959, Kohl was elected to the local parliament, where he became the youngest representative. For several years he headed the party faction of the Landtag. 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 turn into a major industrial and scientific center of the country. From 1969 to 1976, Kohl was at the head of the government of this land.
At the pinnacle of power
From 1973 to 1983, Helmut Kohl headed the Christian Democratic Union. During his leadership, the party adopted a program aimed at softening its position in relation to "Eastern politics". The aim of the CDU was to defuse tension in relations with the countries of the socialist camp.
In 1976 Kohl was elected a member of the German parliament and became the leader of the CDU faction in the Bundestag.
On October 1, 1982, Kohl, who at that time was 52 years old, becomes Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. During his reign, the country tightened control over government spending. Kohl's government limited government interference in economic activities. The authorities began to pay the main attention to the development of new sectors of the economy - biotechnology and microelectronics.
Some of the measures taken by Kohl's 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 1980s, protests against the socialist system began in the GDR. In November 1989, the Chancellor presented his ten-point plan for the unification of Germany. However, the real unification took place in October 1990 - faster than the chancellor had planned.
During his political career, Kohl visited the Soviet Union several times. At meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev, the German Chancellor signed documents that formed the basis for new relations 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 the high government post, which he held for more than a decade and a half.
Personal life of Helmut Kohl
In 1960 Helmut got married. His chosen one was the translator Hannelore Renner. Before marriage, they had known each other for over twelve years. The couple have lived together for over four decades. In 2001, the seriously ill Hannelore committed suicide. The Kolya family has two sons - Walter and Peter. Both Kolya's sons chose business as their field of occupation.
The second time Helmut Kohl got married in 2008. His wife was Mike Richter, a journalist and economist.
The former German Chancellor passed away on June 16, 2017.
