The West German politician Franz Josef Strauss (1915-1988) was a founder of the Christian Social Union and its standard bearer for four decades. He was minister president of Bavaria beginning in 1978.

Franz Josef Strauss was born on September 6, 1915, in the Bavarian capital of Munich. A butcher's son, raised a strict Catholic, he proved to be a brilliant student until he was drafted September 1, 1939. He served two years on the eastern front, became an artillery officer, and ended World War II in American captivity.

In 1945 Strauss was active in founding the Christian Social Union (CSU), the quasi-independent Bavarian sister party to the larger Christian Democratic Union (CDU) led by Konrad Adenauer, West German chancellor from 1949 to 1963. Strauss quickly gained attention for his slashing speeches as a CSU parliamentary deputy. Short, stout, and earthy, the energetic Strauss seemingly personified the conservative majority of Bavaria. He was chairman and undisputed leader...