Helmut Schmidt

Helmut Schmidt, born in 1918, chancellor of West Germany (now part of the united Federal Republic of Germany) (1974-82). Born in Hamburg, Schmidt served in the German army during World War II and later attended the University of Hamburg, where he earned a degree in economics. In 1953 he was elected to the West German Parliament as a Social Democrat. From 1969 to 1972 he served as defense minister under Chancellor Willy Brandt and was finance minister from 1972 until 1974, when he became Brandt's successor. Schmidt continued Brandt's policy of rapprochement with East Germany and the Communist block of eastern Europe; and, in association with President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing of France, he assumed a position of leadership in the European Community (now called the European Union). His Social Democratic-Free Democratic coalition won the elections of 1976 and 1980 but broke up when the Free Democrats withdrew in 1982.