1965 West German federal election

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox electionTemplate:Sidebar with collapsible lists Federal elections were held in West Germany on 19 September 1965 to elect the members of the 5th Bundestag. The CDU/CSU remained the largest faction, while the Social Democratic Party remained the largest single party in the Bundestag, winning 217 of the 518 seats (including 15 of the 22 non-voting delegates for West Berlin).

Campaign

Federal Chancellor Ludwig Erhard was initially popular as the acclaimed "father" of West Germany's economic miracle of the 1950s and early 1960s. West Germany's economy still seemed solid in 1965, and thus not enough West German voters wanted to change the party of Federal Chancellor. To ensure his victory in this Bundestag election, Erhard promised to cut income tax and to increase social program spending.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Results

Results by state

Constituency seats

State	Total seats	Seats won
		CDU	SPD	CSU
		style="background:Template:Party color;" |	style="background:Template:Party color;" |	style="background:Template:Party color;" |
Baden-Württemberg	36	30	6
Bavaria	44		8	36
Bremen	3		3
Hamburg	8		8
Hesse	22	5	17
Lower Saxony	30	20	10
North Rhine-Westphalia	73	38	35
Rhineland-Palatinate	16	11	5
Saarland	5	4	1
Schleswig-Holstein	11	10	1
Total	248	118	94	36

List seats

State	Total seats	Seats won
		SPD	CDU	FDP	CSU
		style="background:Template:Party color;" |	style="background:Template:Party color;" |	style="background:Template:Party color;" |	style="background:Template:Party color;" |
Baden-Württemberg	32	17	5	10
Bavaria	42	22		7	13
Bremen	2		2
Hamburg	9	1	7	1
Hesse	23	4	13	6
Lower Saxony	32	16	9	7
North Rhine-Westphalia	80	31	36	13
Rhineland-Palatinate	15	7	5	3
Saarland	3	3
Schleswig-Holstein	10	7	1	2
Total	248	108	78	49	13

Aftermath

The coalition between the CDU/CSU and the FDP returned to government, with Ludwig Erhard as Chancellor. In 1966, the FDP left the coalition over budget issues, and Erhard resigned. Kurt Georg Kiesinger (also CDU) formed a new grand coalition between the CDU/CSU and the SPD which lasted until the next election.