In April 1974, Günter Guillaume, an aide in the Chancellor’s Office, was exposed as an East German spy. Willy Brandt resigned as federal chancellor on May 6. The decision was prompted by his alleged vulnerability to blackmail in the wake of the affair, but also by his general weariness after a long term in office. The energetic and competent Federal Minister of Finance Helmut Schmidt succeeded him as chancellor. In this photo, Brandt (right) congratulates his successor, who had just been elected by the Bundestag.