Second Brandt cabinet

The Second Brandt cabinet was the government of West Germany between 15 December 1972 and 17 May 1974, during the 7th legislature of the Bundestag. Led by the Social Democrat Willy Brandt, the cabinet was a coalition between the Social Democrats (SPD) and the Free Democratic Party (FDP). It followed the Cabinet Brandt I. Following Brandt's resignation as Chancellor on 7 May 1974, Vice-Chancellor Walter Scheel (FDP) served as Acting Chancellor for nine days, until the inception of the Cabinet Schmidt I.

Second Cabinet of Willy Brandt Cabinet Brandt II
9th Cabinet of the Federal Republic of Germany
15 December 1972 – 6 May 1974 (until 16 May 1974 as caretaker government)
Date formed	15 December 1972
Date dissolved	16 May 1974 (1 year, 5 months and 1 day)
People and organisations
President	Gustav Heinemann
Chancellor	Willy Brandt (until 7 May 1974) Walter Scheel (Acting; from 7 May 1974)
Vice-Chancellor	Walter Scheel
Member party	Social Democratic Party   Free Democratic Party
Status in legislature	Coalition government 271/496 (55%)
Opposition party	Christian Democratic Union   Christian Social Union
Opposition leader	Rainer Barzel (CDU), until 1973 Karl Carstens (CDU), from 1973
History
Election	1972 West German federal election
Legislature terms	7th Bundestag
Predecessor	Brandt I
Successor	Schmidt I

Cabinet Brandt II outside the Hammerschmidt Villa on 15 December 1972

Composition

Notable members of the second Brandt cabinet included Minister of Finance Helmut Schmidt, who went on to become the next German Chancellor.^[1]

Portfolio	Minister	Took office	Left office	Party
Chancellor	Willy Brandt	15 December 1972	7 May 1974		SPD
	Walter Scheel (Acting)	7 May 1974	16 May 1974		FDP
Vice-Chancellor & Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs	Walter Scheel	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		FDP
Federal Minister of Interior	Hans-Dietrich Genscher	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		FDP
Federal Minister of Justice	Gerhard Jahn	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister of Finance	Helmut Schmidt	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister of Economics	Hans Friderichs	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		FDP
Federal Minister of Defence	Georg Leber	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister of Research and Technology & Post and Communications	Horst Ehmke	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture	Josef Ertl	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		FDP
Federal Minister of Labour and Social Affairs	Walter Arendt	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister of Youth, Families and Health	Katharina Focke	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister of Intra-German Relations	Egon Franke	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister of Education and Science	Klaus von Dohnanyi	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation	Erhard Eppler	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister of Planning, Architecture und Urban Development	Hans-Jochen Vogel	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister for Special Affairs & Head of the Chancellery	Horst Grabert	15 December 1972	15 May 1974		SPD
Federal Minister for Special Affairs & Affairs of the Vice Chancellor	Werner Maihofer	15 December 1972	16 May 1974		FDP

See also

• Cabinet of Germany