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1965 West German federal election
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| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| election_name | 1965 West German federal election |
| country | West Germany |
| type | parliamentary |
| ongoing | no |
| previous_election | 1961 West German federal election |
| previous_year | 1961 |
| election_date | |
| next_election | 1969 West German federal election |
| next_year | 1969 |
| outgoing_members | List of members of the 4th Bundestag |
| elected_members | List of members of the 5th Bundestag |
| seats_for_election | All 496 seats in the Bundestag |
| majority_seats | 249 |
| registered | 38,510,395 2.9% |
| turnout | 33,416,207 (86.8%) 0.9 pp |
| image1 | |
| candidate1 | Ludwig Erhard |
| party1 | CDU/CSU |
| last_election1 | 45.3%, 242 seats |
| seats1 | **245** |
| seat_change1 | 3 |
| popular_vote1 | **15,524,068** |
| percentage1 | **47.6%** |
| swing1 | 2.3 pp |
| image2 | |
| candidate2 | Willy Brandt |
| party2 | Social Democratic Party of Germany |
| last_election2 | 36.2%, 190 seats |
| seats2 | 202 |
| seat_change2 | 12 |
| popular_vote2 | 12,813,186 |
| percentage2 | 39.3% |
| swing2 | 3.1 pp |
| image3 | |
| candidate3 | Erich Mende |
| party3 | Free Democratic Party (Germany) |
| last_election3 | 12.8%, 67 seats |
| seats3 | 49 |
| seat_change3 | 18 |
| popular_vote3 | 3,096,739 |
| percentage3 | 9.5% |
| swing3 | 3.3 pp |
| map_image | 1965 West German federal election.svg |
| map_size | 400px |
| map_caption | The left side shows constituency winners of the election by their party colours. The right side shows party list winners of the election for the additional members by their party colours. |
| title | Government |
| before_election | First Erhard cabinet |
| before_party | CDU/CSU-FDP |
| posttitle | Government after election |
| after_election | Second Erhard cabinet |
| after_party | CDU/CSU-FDP |
A federal election was held in West Germany on 19 September 1965 to elect the members of the 5th Bundestag. The CDU/CSU remained the largest faction, while the Social Democratic Party remained the largest single party in the Bundestag, winning 217 of the 518 seats (including 15 of the 22 non-voting delegates for West Berlin).
Campaign
Federal Chancellor Ludwig Erhard was initially popular as the acclaimed "father" of West Germany's economic miracle of the 1950s and early 1960s. West Germany's economy still seemed solid in 1965, and thus not enough West German voters wanted to change the party of Federal Chancellor. To ensure his victory in this Bundestag election, Erhard promised to cut income tax and to increase social program spending.
Results
Results by state
Constituency seats
| State | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| seats | Seats won | CDU | SPD | CSU | Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" | Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" | Christian Social Union in Bavaria}};" | Baden-Württemberg | 36 | Bavaria | 44 | Bremen | 3 | Hamburg | 8 | Hesse | 22 | Lower Saxony | 30 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 73 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 16 | Saarland | 5 | Schleswig-Holstein | 11 | Total | 248 | 118 | 94 | 36 | |||
| 30 | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | 36 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5 | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20 | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 38 | 35 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | 1 |
List seats
| State | Total | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| seats | Seats won | SPD | CDU | FDP | CSU | Social Democratic Party of Germany}};" | Christian Democratic Union of Germany}};" | Free Democratic Party (Germany)}};" | Christian Social Union in Bavaria}};" | Baden-Württemberg | 32 | Bavaria | 42 | Bremen | 2 | Hamburg | 9 | Hesse | 23 | Lower Saxony | 32 | North Rhine-Westphalia | 80 | Rhineland-Palatinate | 15 | Saarland | 3 | Schleswig-Holstein | 10 | Total | 248 | 108 | 78 | 49 | 13 | ||||
| 17 | 5 | 10 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22 | 7 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 7 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4 | 13 | 6 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16 | 9 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 31 | 36 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7 | 1 | 2 |
Aftermath
The coalition between the CDU/CSU and the FDP returned to government, with Ludwig Erhard as Chancellor. In 1966, the FDP left the coalition over budget issues, and Erhard resigned. Kurt Georg Kiesinger (also CDU) formed a new grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SPD which lasted until the next election.
Notes
References
References
- "Grimberg's History of the Nations, volume 23: The Rich West".
- (1989). "A History of West Germany, volume 2: Democracy and Its Discontents, 1963–1988". Basil Blackwell.
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