Konrad Adenauer to a central position in Europe, presiding over the German Economic Miracle. He was a driving force behind West Germany becoming the first German state to re-establish a national military (the "Bundeswehr") in 1955. He came to terms with France, which made possible the economic unification of Western Europe. Adenauer opposed rival East Germany and made his nation a member of NATO and a firm ally of the United States. Adenauer, who was Chancellor until age 87, was dubbed "Der Alte" ("the elder"). British politician and historian Roy Jenkins says he was "the oldest statesman ever to function in elected
Chancellor of Germany (1949–present) Chancellor of Germany (1949–present) The Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (in German called ', meaning "Federal Chancellor", or ' for short) is, under the German 1949 Constitution, the head of government of Germany. Historically, the office has evolved from the office of chancellor (, later "", meaning "Chancellor of the Realm") that was originally established in the North German Confederation in 1867. The 1949 Constitution increased the role of the chancellor compared to the 1919 Weimar Constitution by making the chancellor much more independent of the influence of the President and granting the chancellor the right to