End of The GDR Flashcards
How did the SED collapse?
At the top and the bottom as members lost confidence
What did the SED rename itself as?
PDS then SED-PDS
What happened to key high ranking party officials?
Krenz resigned after a month.
Honecker, Dtolpe and Mielke (associated with excesses of the regime) were charged with corruption
Who was Modrow and what role did he take on?
He was Minister- President of the Volkskammer.
He became head of state
What did Modrow want?
Reform and a ‘third way’ between capitalism and communism so he abolished the role of general secretary
What did the storming of stasi offices reveal?
Extent of surveillance
What did the invasion of SED compounds in Wandlitz reveal?
Leadership’s excesses eg swimming pools and large houses
Leipzig: % of people who supported reunification vs active opposition
Grew from 39% to 72% and active opposition declined from 12% to 2%
What did the monetary union between the GDR and the FRG mean for its economy?
It had completely lost control over its economy
Examples of an East German and West German party uniting
CDU parties merging and SPD parties merging
Results of the March 1990 elections
CDU: 48%
SPD: 21%
New Forum: 5%
How did Britain feel about reunificication?
Feared the reemergence of a powerful united Germany and feared it would destabilise Gorby
How did France feel about reunification?
Willing to accept it if Germany had cliser ties with the EU
How did the USSR feel about reunification?
Wanted German self determination but also hoped that the GDR would reform
What energised Kohl’s desire for reunification?
Support from the US and USSR, demand for it in GDR and mass emigration (70 000 in Jan 1990)
FRG’s atritude towards reunification
Lots of support for it but concerns over mass migration and the power of a united Germany (left wing groups)
What was the final settlement?
Treaty signed by the allies which allowed reunification to go ahead
What concessions did the USSR make in the final settlement? How much money was it meant to get in exchange?
Withdrew its troops from GDR and it joined NATO. No NATO troops allowed within 300 miles of USSR but this was violated.
$20bn but it only got $8bn
What was ostalgie?
The nostalgia people felt for certain parts of E. German life eg social welfare and cheap housing
Unemployment in GDR after reunification?
Rose to 30% in the early 1990s
What % of E. Germans in 1998 wanted the GDR to return?
10%
