Helmut Schmidt vs Leopold Figl

Schmidt became Chancellor of West Germany on May 16, 1974, succeeding Willy Brandt. He took office during the 1970s oil crisis and economic recession, inheriting a period of stagflation and high unemployment.

Schmidt implemented austerity measures and energy conservation policies to address the oil crisis. He reduced public spending and promoted nuclear power, but unemployment rose to over one million by 1975.

Schmidt advocated for NATO's dual-track policy of deploying Pershing II and cruise missiles in Western Europe while offering arms control negotiations with the Soviet Union. This decision aimed to counter Soviet SS-20 missiles and sparked massive peace protests in West Germany.

Schmidt lost a constructive vote of no confidence on October 1, 1982, when the Free Democratic Party switched coalition partners to support Helmut Kohl's CDU. This ended his eight-year chancellorship and marked a shift to conservative rule.

Leopold Figl became the first Chancellor of the Second Austrian Republic after the November 1945 elections, leading a grand coalition government. He oversaw the reconstruction of Austria after World War II, including economic recovery and political stabilization.

Under Figl's chancellorship, Austria participated in the Marshall Plan, receiving significant US economic aid. This aid was crucial for rebuilding infrastructure, stabilizing the currency, and laying the foundation for Austria's post-war economic growth.

Leopold Figl, as Federal Chancellor, signed the Austrian State Treaty on May 15, 1955, at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna. The treaty restored Austria's sovereignty and ended the Allied occupation, with Austria pledging permanent neutrality.

Figl traveled to Moscow in April 1955 to negotiate with the Soviet Union. The resulting Moscow Memorandum secured Soviet agreement to the State Treaty in exchange for Austria's declaration of permanent neutrality, modeled on Switzerland.