Helmut Schmidt

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.