Helmut Kohl

German statesman and politician of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) who served as Chancellor of Germany from 1982 to 1998 (of West Germany, 1982–1990; and of reunified Germany, 1990–1998) and as chairman of the CDU from 1973 to 1998. Kohls 16-year tenure is the longest of any German Chancellor since Otto von Bismarck, and oversaw the end of the Cold War, the German reunification and the creation of the European Union. Kohl reached his peak in 1990, nicknamed "King Kohl" he is considered the father of German reunification. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Kohl earned his place as the most powerful European statesman by boldly moving East Germany into the West with his ten-point plan. Considered a "German provincial politician" by Margaret Thatcher, world leaders, German intellectuals and press, Kohl capitalized on being underestimated by others in order to strive for European integration. Kohls middle-of-the-road policy helped to establish reconciliation with France, compensation for Israel, and support for the Atlantic Alliance. Despite his usual low ratings in the polls, his tireless sense of duty to his country made him the longest-serving chancellor in postwar history. Kohl grew up in the small town of Ludwigshafen, a few miles from the BASF chemical company. His father owned a battlefield commission from WW I and worked as a minor civil servant yet the family had little money. Kohl was forever shaped by his experiences during WW II, during which his older brother Walter was killed. In 1942, at the age of 12, Kohl saved people and pulled bodies from the rubble of destroyed buildings during the Allied bombing runs in his town. At 15, he received his first American CARE package after the end of the war. Father Johannes Fink invited the devout young Catholic teen to dinner at the rectory to discuss the principles of a German democracy. In Kohls strict devout Roman Catholic family, there was always time for reading and discussions on philosophy and politics. At 19, he joined the Christian Democratic party. He enrolled at Heidelberg University and earned his PhD in history. Upon graduation, he worked for the Ludwigshafen chemical plant and climbed the local political ladder. In 1955, he became head of the Rhineland-Palatinate government. In 1969, he became the chairman of the Christian Democratic Union and the youngest state governor. By 1973, Kohl was the youngest Party National Chairman and leader of the opposition in the Bundestag, the lower chamber of West Germanys parliament. During the last half of the 1970s and in the early 80s, Kohl floundered in his political wilderness. In 1982, Helmut Schmidts coalition government collapsed and Kohl formed a new coalition government. In 1983 he won the national German elections. When he replaced Schmidt as Chancellor of Germany there was an immediate change of style. Schmidt considered Kohl the village idiot. The press and German intellectuals poked fun at his 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) physical bulk, his wordy, coarse manner, and thick accent. The German media constantly challenged his non-intellectual image and poor TV presence. Kohl was viewed as an uncultured mediocrity from the backwaters of Germany plus his inability to converse in foreign languages caused much scorn in his country. German intellectuals claimed that Kohl read on even days and wrote on odd days. Despite the derision, Kohl mastered German political power and managed his longevity by controlling his p Read less