# 1965 West German federal election

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.

## Results

Seats :
| Party | Party | Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Elected | West Berlin | Total | +/– |
| | Social Democratic Party | 12,813,186 | 39.28 | 108 | 12,998,474 | 40.07 | 94 | 202 | 15 | 217 | +14 |
| | Christian Democratic Union | 12,387,562 | 37.97 | 78 | 12,631,319 | 38.94 | 118 | 196 | 6 | 202 | +1 |
| | Christian Social Union | 3,136,506 | 9.62 | 13 | 3,204,648 | 9.88 | 36 | 49 | 0 | 49 | –1 |
| | Free Democratic Party | 3,096,739 | 9.49 | 49 | 2,562,294 | 7.90 | 0 | 49 | 1 | 50 | –17 |
| | National Democratic Party | 664,193 | 2.04 | 0 | 587,216 | 1.81 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | German Peace Union [de] | 434,182 | 1.33 | 0 | 386,900 | 1.19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Action Community of Independent Germans [de] | 52,637 | 0.16 | 0 | 46,146 | 0.14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Christian People's Party | 19,832 | 0.06 | 0 | 11,978 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Free Social Union [de] | 10,631 | 0.03 | 0 | 6,287 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Independent Workers' Party | 3,959 | 0.01 | 0 | 1,127 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | European Federalist Party [de] | 1,015 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | – | 0 | 0 | 0 | New |
| | Independents and voter groups | | | | 660 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Total | 32,620,442 | 100.00 | 248 | 32,437,049 | 100.00 | 248 | 496 | 22 | 518 | –3 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 32,620,442 | 97.62 | | 32,437,049 | 97.07 | | | | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 795,765 | 2.38 | | 979,158 | 2.93 | | | | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 33,416,207 | 100.00 | | 33,416,207 | 100.00 | | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 38,510,395 | 86.77 | | 38,510,395 | 86.77 | | | | | |
| Source: Bundeswahlleiter ||||||||||||

### Results by state
#### Constituency seats

| State | Total seats | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won |
| State | Total seats | CDU | SPD | CSU |
| 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 | Seats won | Seats won | Seats won |
| State | Total seats | SPD | CDU | FDP | CSU |
| 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.