18- Post-war central and eastern Europe (support... 1945-68) Flashcards
Give an overview of what happened in several Eastern European states between the years 1945 and 1968
- The years 1945 to 1968 saw several states within Eastern Europe attempt to protest against and/or to reform the governments which ruled them.
- Although none of these protests were successful in fundamentally challenging Communist rule, the consequences were to have profound effects for Eastern Europe and for the Soviet Union itself.
What characteristics did the countries of the Eastern bloc share by 1950?
- They were all police states with secret police organisations modeled on the KGB and reinforced by informers
- All were one party states; although elections took place only ‘official’ candidates were allowed to stand in elections.
- Media and education was controlled
- State propaganda underpinned the system
- Personality cults developed around the leaders
- The ruling paries followed the lead of the Soviet Union in economic and social polices; they all took the Soviet version of Marxist-Leninsm with its belief in an ultimately classless society as the ultimate goal and all followed the dictates of Soviet foreign policy
- Ultimately regimes were kept in power by oppression; the threat of Soviet intervention remained in the background.
Despite the control and repression that took place in Eastern bloc states, theree were challenges to this system in ___
East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland between 1950 and 1968
How successful were the challenges to the system in states like East Germany, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland between 1950 and 1968?
- None of these challenges were successful in fundamentally changing the system, and Communist rule remained secure.
- Nevertheless, the suppression of each protest had severe consequences for the country involved, for the Soviet Union itself and, ultimately, for the very survival of Communism.
When was the German Democratic Republic (GDR) established?
October 1949
Who was in power after the GDR was established in 1949 and what was this period called?
- Walter Ulbricht became First Secretary of the SED and he remained the most powerful leader of the GDR until 1971.
- The period 1949 to 1961 was officially labeled ‘the creation of the basis of socialism’.
What was the SED party in the GDR?
The socialist party which had been established before Germany’s split
What was the role of the SED party under Ulbricht?
It had the role of guiding society through its transition to socialism and remained the dominant party.
Describe the social limitations placed on people in the GDR under the SED
Although freedom of speech, the right to strike, freedom of assembly and freedom to practice religion were allowed in theory, in practice such freedoms were subordinated to the building of socialism and its relationship with the USSR.
How did the SED control people?
- The SED sought to control the police and justice system and to ensure that schools taught the new political principles.
- A secret police was established and the SED infiltrated the mass organisations, such as the Free German Trade Union (FDGB) and the Free German Youth (FDI).
Describe the economic situation in the GDR (under the SED)
- Agricultural policies were modeled on those established in the USSR by Stalin - collectivisation in agriculture and Five Year Plans for industry.
- The results of these policies saw industrial output increasing, but also a scarcity of consumer goods and a failure to improve living standards and increase housing.
- Enforced collectivisation led to 15,000 East German farmers moving to the West and the process led to food shortages and heavy rationing.
- The general discontent caused by this situation led to the 1953 Uprising.
What were the consequences of the 1953 uprising in the GDR?
- Ulbricht’s position being strengthened and changes being made to the political structure
- The USSR recognizing the GDR
- Revealing the attitude of the Western Powers
Explain how Ulbricht’s position being strengthened was a consequence of the 1953 uprising in the GDR
- Although Ulbricht had been under pressure to soften his reforms before 1953, the USSR now took the view that any thought of liberalising East Germany’s internal politics had to be abandoned.
- Ulbricht was thus able to use the 1953 rebellion as an excuse to carry out massive political repression.
- This included 6,000 arrests.
- Around 20,000 civil servants lost their jobs, as well as 50,000 lesser party members; this included former Social Democrats.
Explain how the 1953 uprising in the GDR led to changes in the political structure
- The Ministry for State Security (Stasi) was reformed and put under firmer party control.
- Thus authoritarian rule was consolidated and the rebellions of 1956 which affected Poland and Hungary did not spread to East Germany.
- Other than a brief period in the 1960s when some criticism was allowed of the worst excesses of Stalinism and West Germans were allowed to visit the East, a hard line was enforced.
- Intellectuals who urged a more ‘humane socialism’ risked being arrested.
The USSR recognizing the GDR as a consequence of the 1953 uprising
The USSR now recognised the GDR which it had not done before as it was clear that it had to build up the GDR diplomatically and economically as a separate entity from West Germany.
The attitudes of the Western powers being revealed as a consequence of the 1953 uprising
The failure of the West to intervene seemed to indicate that the Western powers were unwilling to act outside of their own zones.
Describe the economic changes that took place in the GDR after 1953
- Ulbricht continued to develop East Germany’s economy along Soviet lines with Five Year Plans based on heavy industry.
- However, after the 1953 rising more attention was given to consumer goods.
- In 1956 a second Five Year Plan proved a failure and was abandoned.
- In 1959 a Seven Year Plan was introduced.
What was the Seven Year Plan that was introduced in the GDR in 1959 and how did it turn out?
- This plan had ambitious targets in the production of energy, chemicals and development of engineering; Ulbricht predicted that by the end of 1961 the GDR’s economy would have overtaken that of West Germany.
- However, this plan was also abandoned; it’s economy continued to grow at about 3% but this was low compared to the 8% of the FRG.
Describe the reason for and the reality of the growing emigration of East German workers to the west between 1950 and 1961
- The state of the economy was the main reason for the growing emigration of East German workers to the West.
- During the period 1950 to 1961 the population of East Germany fell from 18.5 million to just over 17 million.
What was the effect of the growing emigration of East German workers to the west between 1950 and 1961?
This undermined East Germany economically as it lost its best workers; it also undermined it ideologically as it proved that East Germans preferred the West to their own country.
When was the Berlin Wall built?
1961
How did the building of the Berlin Wall benefit the GDR?
- The haemorrhage of labour ended
- The government could now plan it’s economic polices knowing that it had a guaranteed labour supply
- The wall also increased stability inside the GDR since many East Germans now had to come to terms with life in the GDR and worked to make the best of it rather than consider emigrating to the West; previously the scale of emigration to the West had called into question the legitimacy of the country.
What influence did the Soviet Union have on the GDR between 1945 and 1968?
- The economic and political system followed that of the Soviet Union
- Ulbricht’s government was dependent on the Soviet Union as seen by the Soviet intervention in the 1953 uprising and the Soviet Union’s backing for the building of the wall.
- It was a member of the Warsaw Pact and its own army, the National People’s Army of NVA was supported by the Soviets as East Germany was on the ‘front line’ of Cold War tensions and so had to be well-armed.
What had Ulbricht hoped for with the Berlin Wall?
- He had hoped for a harder line against the West.
- He had hoped that the West would be pushed out of Berlin and that East Germany would have sovereignty over Berlin.
Although the building of the Berlin Wall didn’t satisfy all of Ulbricht’s hopes, it did have positive effects for the GDR, which Ulbricht had personally pressed for, such as ___
- Successfully stabilised the GDR’s economy as already mentioned and was his most enduring legacy - along with recognition of the GDR’s existence as a state in its own right.
- Ulbricht fought to achieve this throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and he would not establish diplomatic relations with the West Germans until they recognised the sovereign status of the GDR.
How did Ulbricht feel about the improved relations between West Germany and the USSR?
- He was unhappy about the improved relations between West Germany and the USSR in 1970 which confirmed Germany’s postwar borders.
- His opposition meant that he was replaced as first secretary by Erich Honecker in May 1971.
When was Ulbricht replaced by Honecker?
May 1971
When was Gomulka the leader of Poland?
Between 1956 and 1970
Why did the situation in regard to Poland at the end of WW2 get particularly complex?
- Due to its geographical location.
- At the start of the war it had been carved up between Germany and the Soviet Union as part of the Nazi Soviet Pact, and during the war it lost 6 million – which was proportionally more than any other country.
Describe how the communists rose to power in Poland
- Despite the efforts of Churchill in particular to establish free elections in Poland and allow a range of parties, by 1947 the communist Polish Party had gained supremacy via the use of salami tactics as discussed elsewhere.
- In addition, purges were used to clamp down on dissent both within and outside of the Party.
- Ninety-seven concentration camps were identified in Poland by the early 1950s.
