DDR Flashcards
what’s the präsidium
council of exeuctive officiers
what’s politburo
communist party policy making committee
when was DDR founded
October 1949
what was the DDR in theory
multi party system w/ volksammer for proportional rep + länderkammer for regions
what was DDR in reality
soviet dictatorship
what’s democratic centralism
freedom discussion - only if communist ideals - cement SED dictatorship
what’s the politbureau
highest executive party in communist party
who ultimately controlled DDR
politbureau - Ulbricht + Pieck
evidence of DDR party pluralism for image of democracy
-CDUD leader Nuschke - christian democratic joins gov
however what idd CDUD and other parties allowed actually do
camouflage one party government
1950 election pals chamber
99% approval
what was the volksammer
4000 members elected every 5 yrs - pass legislation via unanimous vote
evidence of soviet influence in judiciary by 1950 judges
1/2 judges + 86% prosecutor SED member
how did soviets use courts to distinguish opponents of communism
in 40 yrs 200,000 ppl prosecuted for political reasons
when was the Stasi founded
feb 1950
what was the Stasi
security service of party - protect against ‘capitalist agents’ - omnipresent
how many permanent members Stasi
13,000 by 1955
who was Stasi minister
Erich mielke
what were IM in Stasi
unofficial informers - spy on ppl
how many IM
175,000 by 1989- population 16.1 million
evidence of Stasi spies in west
gunter guillaume - in willy Brandt’s office
-in NATO
when were lander abolished
1952 - replaced w/ bezirke - easier to control
when was NVA (ppl’s army created)
after bundeswher + Warsaw Pact 1955 - ‘instrument power of working class’
what were the norms
productivity and working hours
what was announced in may 1953 to meet economic plans
10% rise in norms
evidence of growing economic difficulty for ppl (refugees)
75,000 1949 - 171,000
when did stalin die
march 1953 - new leader want ‘new course’
when did ulbricht announce new course
June 13 1953 - increase role state + collectivisation
what happened June 16 1953
stalinallee workers peaceful protest Berlin 100,000
how much of workforce took part in 1953
7%
why did protest fail
martial law soviet tanks - 20-59 fatalities
why else did protest fail
lack of organisation -
gov response to protest
1300 ppl on trial - blamed on ‘western agents’
evidence ulbricht strengthen party after protest
20,000 leading SED functionaries removed in PURGE + Stasi expanded
what did protest do for ulbricht
reverse norms BUT SUCCESS FOR ULBRICHT
evidence success for ulbricht
shows west will not interfere + one party system well established
evidence success protest for ulbricht
DDR recognised by USSR 1955
what did kruschev ( leader USSR) announce 1956
end stalinism
problem of kurschev announcement for DDR
DDR propoganda glorified stalin - Wolfgang harwich philospher criticise DDR
what happened in Hungary 1956
Nagy communist reform leader push for Hungary withdraw Warsaw Pact
soviet reaction to hungrary
soviet troops 1956 - 3000 ppl dead
