Helmut Schmidt

Schmidt, Helmut (1918– ), chancellor of West Germany (1974–82). A Social Democrat, he was party floor leader in the Bundestag (1962–69), defense minister (1969–72), and finance minister (1972–74). He succeeded Willy Brandt as chancellor when the latter resigned amid a spy scandal. In a continent plagued with economic difficulties, Germany under Schmidt remained stable and prosperous. However, violent radical groups asserted themselves in the early 1980s, and he stepped down after losing a confidence vote in 1982. Since 1983 he is editor in chief of the German newspaper Die Zeit.