1973 oil crisis

Geschichteab 9 J.

When Arab oil states turned off the tap: petrol prices quadrupled, car-free Sundays in Germany, a global economic crisis. It showed for the first time how dependent the world is on oil.

The 1973 oil crisis was the first major energy shock of the post-war period.

What happened:

• October 1973: OPEC states (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq etc.) cut oil production in response to the Yom Kippur War
• Oil price: from 3 to 12 dollars per barrel (quadrupled!)
• Petrol price in Germany: from 56 pfennigs to over 1 Deutsche Mark
• Car-free Sundays: the German government ordered 4 car-free Sundays
• Recession: GDP slump, mass unemployment

Long-term consequences:

• Start of the energy-saving movement
• Speed limits on motorways (recommended: 130 km/h)
• Support for renewable energy began
• Japan and Germany developed more economical cars (a lead over the USA)

Parallels with 2022: the dependence on Russian gas in 2022 was strongly reminiscent of the oil dependence of 1973. Both times: price explosion, inflation, economic crisis – and a wake-up call to diversify energy sources.

Did you know? During the car-free Sundays of 1973, Germans strolled on empty motorways, played football between the crash barriers and had barbecues on the hard shoulder. Photos of those days are among the most iconic images of Germany's post-war history.

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