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German ex-Chancellor Schmidt dies at 96 German ex-Chancellor Helmut Schmidt dies at 96
(35 minutes later)
Former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt - who led the country in 1974-82 - has died aged 96, his office says. Helmut Schmidt, who served as West German Chancellor from 1974 to 1982, has died aged 96, his office says.
Mr Schmidt, who was a Social Democrat, was an architect of the European Monetary System, which linked EU currencies and was a key step on the path to the euro.Mr Schmidt, who was a Social Democrat, was an architect of the European Monetary System, which linked EU currencies and was a key step on the path to the euro.
He was credited with helping to consolidate the country's post-war economic boom.
He is seen as one of the most popular German leaders since WWII.He is seen as one of the most popular German leaders since WWII.
Mr Schmidt died on Tuesday afternoon in Hamburg, his doctor Heiner Greten was quoted as saying by German media.
The doctor provided no further details.
Helmut Schmidt was a far-sighted strategist who lived to see his ambitions for Germany fulfilled in 1990, the BBC's Jenny Hill in Berlin reports.
By 1972, Mr Schmidt was finance minister in the government of Willy Brandt, a brilliant manager of the economic miracle. Two years later he himself was chancellor.
The Berlin Wall dividing West and East Germany was the front line in a dangerous Cold War at the time.
With skilled diplomacy, Mr Schmidt pursued detente with communist leaders on the other side, but when the Soviet Union stepped up the arms race, he stood firm, our correspondent says.
Braving fierce protests at home, he let America deploy medium-range nuclear missiles on West German soil to keep the military balance.
Strongly pro-European, Mr Schmidt together with French leaders launched the European Monetary System in 1979. This later paved the way for the euro.
He will also be remembered for leading his country through a period of political violence in which groups - such as the Red Army Faction - carried out bombings and kidnappings, our correspondent says.
In 1982, the coalition led by Mr Schmidt's party collapsed and he lost power to Helmut Kohl.