Konrad Adenauer

Konrd Adenauer Historical Figure Nationality: Germany, later West Germany Year of Birth: 1876 Year of Death: 1967 Cause of Death: Natural Causes Religion: Catholic Occupation: Politician, Diplomat Spouse: Emma Weyer Auguste (Gussie) Zinsser Fictional Appearances: The Man With the Iron Heart POD: May 29, 1942; Relevant POD: May, 1945 Type of Appearance: Direct Date of Death: 1946 Cause of Death: Body destroyed by an explosion

Konrad Hermann Josef Adenauer (5 January 1876 – 19 April 1967) was a German statesman. Prior to World War II, he was an elected official from the Catholic Center Party and a vocal opponent of the Nazis. As a result, he was persecuted by that group following their ascendance under Adolf Hitler. Following the end of World War II, Adenauer's anti-Nazi credentials won him the respect and admiration of the Allies, who supported his establishment of the Christian Democratic Union. Upon the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) as an independent state in 1949, Adenauer became that country's first democratically elected chancellor, serving from 1949 to 1963.

Konrad Adenauer in The Man With the Iron Heart

As the mayor of Cologne, Konrad Adenauer (1876-January, 1946) had made a name for himself as an opponent of the Nazis before World War II, and so became a logical choice after the war and a favorite of the Western Allies to lead Germany. Adenauer established a new political party, the Christian Democratic Union from Cologne, with the help of the British.

The German Freedom Front targeted Adenauer for assassination in January, 1946. One attempt by a suicide bomber failed. The second, a mortar attack at a rally in American-occupied Erlangen, succeeded, when Adenauer was blown off the platform he was speaking on, and his body from the neck down was shredded.

References

Political offices (OTL)
Preceded by Vacancy; Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigkas as Leitender Minister 1945	Chancellor of Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) 1949-1963	Succeeded by Ludwig Erhard
Preceded by Lutz Graf Schwerin von Krosigk	Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs 1951–1955	Succeeded by Heinrich von Brentano di Tremezzo