The “Khaki Election.” Nielz Metzger, a military hero, challenged the aging “Father of the Nation” Stefan Hartschnell. Metzger argued that the Civic Union was too old-fashioned to lead the reconstruction. Hartschnell died of a heart attack on October 12, 1948, during the electoral campaigning period. His Vice President, Oscar Hantzsch, took over campaigning and replaced Hartschnell on the Civic Union ticket. This, along with stagnation, led to Metzger’s victory. It was a victory that ended the Hartschnell era and led to the dissolution of the Civic Union several years later.
| Candidate | Party | Second Round | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nielz Metzger | Bosken National Alliance (BNA) | 52.4% | âś“ |
| Oscar Hentzch | Civic Union (CU) | 47.6% |
| Candidate | Party | First Round | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oscar Hentzch | Civic Union (CU) | 46.6% | -12.3% |
| Nielz Metzger | Bosken National Alliance (BNA) | 35.4% | +20.0% |
| Dominic Bohnisch | Imperial Party (IP) | 12.3% | -9.8% |
| Lars Aach | Socialist Party | 5.7% | +2.1% |
Turnout: 84%