The End of the SPD as We Knew it?

Euromissiles, Peace Activism, and the Transformation of the Political

Abstract

Abstract: This article explores the transformation of political thought in the Social Democratic Party (SPD) of West Germany in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Placing this story in its sociocultural context, such as the controversies over the deployment of additional nuclear missiles in Europe, this article tracks down how party members and sympathizers renegotiated their understanding of the political. In doing so, it pays particular attention to the involvement of Social Democrats in the extra-parliamentary peace movement. It surveys the contemporary talk about the need to increase political participation of citizens, showing how Social Democrats aimed to democratize the political system of West Germany and their own party structures, as well as how this contributed to the popular anti-institutionalism of these years. The article also reveals the limits of the SPD’s erosion as strong forces in the party insisted on a more traditional understanding of the political. Finally, this article suggests foregrouning the early 1980s in Social Democratic history.