1.4a Why were the economic problems of the GDR so severe by the late 1980s? Flashcards
What was the GDR’s debt to Western nations in the 1980s?
40 billion DM
What was the GDR’s GDP at in the 1980s?
250 billion DM
Which newspaper well represents the problem of growing national debt?
‘Schurer-Papier’ who projected the need to increase national exports by 500%
What did the GDR severely lack that hindered the economy?
Exports
How did the GDR’s desperation for money lead to added inefficiency?
They sold their oil to the Soviets which forced them to use lignite which was much more inefficient
Between 1986-88, exports of heavy industry fell by __%
30%
Who was the GDR’s economic crisis kept secret from?
Honnecker
Who did the restriction of economic information alarmingly include?
The GDR’s own economics minister
How were the FRG involved in the GDR’s debt crisis?
They had enough money to keep propping ther GDR up
How did Gorbachov worsen the GDR’s national debt?
Decided not to increase financial support for the GDR
GDR expenditure on subsidising housing, education, health and welfare:
1980 - ____ DM
1985 - ____ DM
GDR expenditure on subsidising housing, education, health and welfare:
1980 - 72.9 billion DM
1985 - 112.3 billion DM
How did good healthcare help to reduce opposition to the SED?
Provided public satisfaction and gratefulness
How did good healthcare help the GDR’s prestige?
Encouraged productivity and provided some international prestige
Why was there such a strain on the GDR’s healthcare system?
Ageing population
How did the industrial output of the GDR put strain on the healthcare system?
Pollutants caused respiratory issues
The GDR had the worst ____________ in Europe
Air Pollution
Why is the town of Bitterfield relevant?
It would’ve been declared unfit for human habitation according to UN air pollution laws
Honnecker demanded that __% of all factories’ output had to consist of consumer goods
5%
WHat did Honnecker’s demand for all factories to produce consumer goods result in?
Strange production like steel mills producing microwaves of very poor quality
What grew in 1985 for the first time in GDR history?
The private sector
The private sector only had __% of net national product
2.8%
What areas was the private sector particularly important in?
Car parts and modern technology
What was the culture in the GDR regarding getting your hands on goods?
swapping
What does the term ‘Buckware’ or ‘duck goods’ mean?
Illegal acts like bribing to receive goods
What goods were particularly difficult to obtain?
Fruit and vegetables
Why was it still difficult to get your hands on things that were produced in the GDR?
They were mostly exported
What made the GDR people very conscious of their lack of luxuries?
Access to FRG media
In what year did a FRG concert turn their speakers towards the GDR to allow them to hear David Bowie?
1987
In 1989, what type of countries made up most of the GDR’s imports and exports?
non-Socialist countries
By 1989, __% of the GDR’s trade was with the FRG
20%
What did the FRG do to help GDR dissidents?
Bought their freedom
How many dissidents did the FRG buy freedom for?
34,000
When did the scheme of buying the freedom of dissidents start?
1963
Over the entire scheme of buying the freedom of dissidents, how much money did the GDR obtain?
3 billion DM
What question did the FRG’s continued support for the GDR raise?
Were the FRG so bad?
In 1989, why did the FRG finally stop loaning money to the GDR?
They had lost interest in helping them because of the political collapse
