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AS History Germany > GDR > Flashcards

GDR Flashcards

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1
Q

When was the GDR formed?

A

October 1949

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2
Q

What was the composition of the GDR?

A

The Volkskammer

  • Highest institution
  • Free and secret general elections
  • Proportional representation
  • Purpose = to represent the people

The Landskammer
- Represents the interest of the 5 Lander

A multi party system with 2 chambers

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3
Q

Who was Walter Ulbricht?

A

The Secretary of the SED and politburo

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4
Q

What was the politburo?

A

The mouthpiece of the communist party - all power lies with Ulbricht

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5
Q

What were the ‘ceremonial roles’ and who had them?

A

Prime Minister: Otto Grotewohl

President: Wilhelm Pieck

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6
Q

The GDR claimed to be democratic but what was the reality?

A
  • Soviet control led to the creation of a totalitarian state
  • Politics, society and the economy were modelled on the USSR
  • Lacked public support so turned to terror tactics to maintain control
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7
Q

What did Democratic centralism consist of?

A
  • Rule of Politburo
  • Loyalty to USSR
  • Party Control Commission
  • Party Pluralism
  • Judiciary
  • Stasi
  • Military powers
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8
Q

What did the rule of the Politburo allow?

A

Complete control of the SED

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9
Q

What was the demand of loyalty to the USSR?

A
  • Guideline for all SED members which cleansed the party of unreliable elements
  • All parties had to accept the SED’s monopoly of power
  • Removed 150,000 party members in first 2 years of GDR
  • Pressure to be loyal fixed results so SED won majority
  • Power retained by top ranking officials
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10
Q

What was party pluralism?

A
  • Allowed more than one political party

- Brought into place to give image of democracy

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11
Q

What was the role of the judiciary?

A
  • 3 elements: People’s Judges, Supreme Court and Civil, Labour and Family Law
  • Majority of judges were replaced by SED members who lacked legal qualifications
  • Judges claimed to be ‘independent’ - controlled by Supreme Court and SED
  • Criminal law used to suppress opposition - persecution was designed to intimidate and criminalise opposition to Communism
  • Everything controlled by GDR created climate of fear
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12
Q

Who were the Stasi? What did they do?

A
  • Formed in 1950 - ‘Sword and Shield of SED’
  • Aims to fight against capitalist agents who wanted to undermine the state
  • Structured like army
  • 13,000 members by 1955
  • Informal members were general spies - 175,000
  • Invaded personal rights and used torture - omnipresent created fear
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13
Q

What were the 3 military powers and their impacts?

A
  • The People’s Police (1949) - traditional policing roles and law enforcement , ineffective due to 1953 uprising
  • SMAD (1949) - soviet troops stationed in barracks throughout GDR, ultimate power as could overrule other military powers - last line to crush internal disturbance
  • The National People’s Army (1956) - decreed without public debate, not traditional army, controlled population
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14
Q

What were the impacts of WW2 and the Division of Germany on the GDR economy?

A
  • Joined Comecon in 1950 - integration into Eastern Bloc
  • GDR didn’t have technology to compete with Western markets
  • Foreign trade trebled by 1950-55 but geared to demands of USSR
  • Berlin Treaty signed in 1951 to allow bartering between 2 Germany’s - able to pay in goods rather than currency
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15
Q

What were the impacts of agriculture on the GDR economy?

A
  • Owners of estates over 100 hectares were dispossessed without compensation which was distributed amongst refugees (4 million)
  • 1949- sense that the people had control over agriculture but strains due to limited machinery and fertilisers etc
  • 1952- voluntary collectivisation to tackle food supply issues
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16
Q

Impacts of collectivisation on the GDR economy?

A
  • Agricultural production operatives introduced
  • Attractive to small scale farmers but large scale refused
  • By 1953, 13% of agricultural land wasn’t being farmed
  • 1960- policy enforced to fully convert to a socialist economy and farmers persuaded to join by restricting machinery
  • Farmer refugee numbers peaked in 1961
  • Ideologically was a success and long term improvements made
  • From 1963 there was increased investment in agriculture
17
Q

What was the First Five Year Plan? What did it do?

A
  • 1951-55
  • Focused on iron, steel, fuel, chemicals and building
  • Objectives determined to be successful
  • By 1955 many targets were over fulfilled and production doubled (iron, cement, sulphuric acid)
  • Didn’t have public compliance as lack of focus on consumer goods
  • Too much focus on USSR model - quantity over quality which didn’t support economic prosperity
18
Q

What was the impact of the GDR economy on workers?

A
  • Productivity quotas of plans put pressure on workers
  • Many left for West Germany
  • Felt controlled by USSR
  • Later economic plans (1958-59) focused on production of consumer goods - increased living standards
  • Low prices of housing and basic goods in 1958 slowed migration
  • 7 Year Plan led to unrealisitc productivity levels
  • Between 1960-61: 1000 fled a day
19
Q

What was the role of Walter Ulbricht?

A
  • Chief decision maker in East Germany
  • Chairman of council from 1960 - supreme power
  • Proved to be a shrewd intelligent politician
  • Stabilised GDR to an extent - didn’t raise living standards
20
Q

What happened in the Berlin Uprising in 1953?

A
  • Started with strike by East Berlin construction workers, turned widespread in 24 hours
  • Against govt demands to increase productivity
  • Nearly 1 million joined the protests and began rioting in cities and towns
  • US gave aid to feed East Germans to prolong uprising and win Western support
  • Force used to stop uprising - aid from Soviets - 20,000 soldiers and 8000 people’s police, 125 killed
21
Q

What was the education policy in the GDR?

A
  • Used to instill communist ideology
  • Technical and practical skills prioritised
  • Law for the Democratisation of German Schools - set textbook curriculum
  • Sport and parliamentary training important - raise fitness levels
  • Adult education
  • Free German Youth and Young Pioneers taught communist ideology
  • Aimed to fight western capitalism, offer recreational activities and community projects, train future leaders of GDR and military training
22
Q

What was the lifestyle in the GDR like?

A
  • Shortages in supermarkets
  • Build on traditional German values of discipline, hard work, authority and efficiency
  • Salaries in East average about 1200 marks - £140 a month
  • People had children to get housing
  • Welfare state - free healthcare for all, pensions, unemployment not an issue, new homes
23
Q

What was the position of trade unions in the GDR?

A
  • Free German Trade Union League
  • Important part of the worker’s life
  • Social insurance program provides holiday centres and packaged holidays for workers
  • Workers enterprises provided housing, libraries, discount shops, clubs and recreational activities
  • Cooperated with schools
  • Instill the appreciation of the social value of work
24
Q

What were the religious policies in the GDR?

A
  • Religious instruction removed from schools - Laws for Democratisation of German School 1946
  • Youth Dedication service - introduced in 1954 as an alternative to Protestant or Catholic Confirmation
25
Q

What was the overall view of the economy in the GDR? (life in the GDR)

A
  • Most affluent socialist country
  • Highest GDP per capita and highest standard of living among soviet-style economies
  • Economy flourished despite lack of resources/labour
  • Small workforce - women encouraged to join
  • Steady rate of economic growth

AS History Germany (4 decks)

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