1965 West German federal election

Federal elections were 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).

1965 West German federal election

← 1961 19 September 1965 (1965-09-19) 1969 →
← outgoing members elected members →
All 496 seats in the Bundestag[lower-alpha 1] 249 seats needed for a majority
Registered	38,510,395 2.9%
Turnout	33,416,207 (86.8%) 0.9pp
First party Second party Third party   Candidate Ludwig Erhard Willy Brandt Erich Mende Party CDU/CSU SPD FDP Last election 45.3%, 242 seats 36.2%, 190 seats 12.8%, 67 seats Seats won 245[lower-alpha 2] 202[lower-alpha 3] 49[lower-alpha 4] Seat change 3 12 18 Popular vote 15,524,068 12,813,186 3,096,739 Percentage 47.6% 39.3% 9.5% Swing 2.3pp 3.1pp 3.3pp
Results by constituency for the first votes. Grey denotes seats won by the CDU/CSU; red denotes seats won by the SPD.
Government before election First Erhard cabinet CDU/CSU–FDP Government after election Second Erhard cabinet CDU/CSU–FDP

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.^[1][2]

Results

Party		Party-list			Constituency			Seats
		Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	Elected	West Berlin	Total	+/–
	Social Democratic Party	12,813,186	39.28	108	12,998,474	40.07	94	202	15	217	+14
	Christian Democratic Union	12,387,562	37.97	78	12,631,319	38.94	118	196	6	202	+1
	Christian Social Union	3,136,506	9.62	13	3,204,648	9.88	36	49	0	49	–1
	Free Democratic Party	3,096,739	9.49	49	2,562,294	7.90	0	49	1	50	–17
	National Democratic Party	664,193	2.04	0	587,216	1.81	0	0	0	0	0
	German Peace Union [de]	434,182	1.33	0	386,900	1.19	0	0	0	0	0
	Action Community of Independent Germans [de]	52,637	0.16	0	46,146	0.14	0	0	0	0	New
	Christian People's Party	19,832	0.06	0	11,978	0.04	0	0	0	0	New
	Free Social Union [de]	10,631	0.03	0	6,287	0.02	0	0	0	0	New
	Independent Workers' Party	3,959	0.01	0	1,127	0.00	0	0	0	0	New
	European Federalist Party [de]	1,015	0.00	0	0	0.00	–	0	0	0	New
	Independents and voter groups				660	0.00	0	0	0	0	0
Total		32,620,442	100.00	248	32,437,049	100.00	248	496	22	518	–3
Valid votes		32,620,442	97.62		32,437,049	97.07
Invalid/blank votes		795,765	2.38		979,158	2.93
Total votes		33,416,207	100.00		33,416,207	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		38,510,395	86.77		38,510,395	86.77
Source: Bundeswahlleiter

Results by state

Constituency seats

State	Total seats	Seats won
		CDU	SPD	CSU
Baden-Württemberg	36	30	6
Bavaria	44		8	36
Bremen	3		3
Hamburg	8		8
Hesse	22	5	17
Lower Saxony	30	20	10
North Rhine-Westphalia	73	38	35
Rhineland-Palatinate	16	11	5
Saarland	5	4	1
Schleswig-Holstein	11	10	1
Total	248	118	94	36

List seats

State	Total seats	Seats won
		SPD	CDU	FDP	CSU
Baden-Württemberg	32	17	5	10
Bavaria	42	22		7	13
Bremen	2		2
Hamburg	9	1	7	1
Hesse	23	4	13	6
Lower Saxony	32	16	9	7
North Rhine-Westphalia	80	31	36	13
Rhineland-Palatinate	15	7	5	3
Saarland	3	3
Schleswig-Holstein	10	7	1	2
Total	248	108	78	49	13

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

1. As well as the 22 non-voting delegates for West Berlin, elected by the West Berlin Legislature.
2. As well as 6 non-voting delegates for West Berlin.
3. As well as 15 non-voting delegates for West Berlin.
4. As well as 1 non-voting delegate for West Berlin.

References

1. Bjöl, Erling. "Erhard's Victory and Fall". Grimberg's History of the Nations, volume 23: The Rich West. p. 339.
2. Bark, Dennis L.; Gress, David R. (1989). A History of West Germany, volume 2: Democracy and Its Discontents, 1963–1988. London, UK: Basil Blackwell.