Obituary: Helmut Schmidt, German strongman who helped bring down the Soviets

Helmut Schmidt, who has died aged 96, dominated the European stage more than any other politician during the '70s as chancellor of West Germany; his eight years in office (1974-82) were marked by his restless energy and personal command of such difficult areas as defence and finance. Schmidt led from the front, a quality appreciated by voters but scorned by his Social Democratic Party.