GDR in 1953

Question 1

Causes of the 1953 Uprising - miscommunication between Moscow and East Germany

Answer 1

• the leader of the SED and GDR, Ulbricht, was summoned to Moscow and told to relax his economic policies
• however, the East German Politburo, the communist policymaking committee, announced further productivity targets for workers
• this angered many workers, making them feel exploited

Question 2

Causes of the 1953 Uprising - border control

Answer 2

• border control between East and West Germany were becoming stricter ever since the GDR had formed in 1949

Question 3

Causes of the 1953 Uprising - resentment of Stalinist economic policies

Answer 3

• Stalin’s policy of collectivisation was applied to East Germany
• however, many resented state managed farms, which put poorer farmers out of business, and effectively gave the state a monopoly on agriculture
• Stalin also demanded high productivity levels from the industry of East Germany
• the final straw was when Stalin announced his policy ‘Building of Socialism’
• this was designed to further increase productivity and aim the economy towards heavy industry

Question 4

Causes of the 1953 Uprising - the new course

Answer 4

• following Stalin’s death in 1953, Soviet policy changed
• an emphasis was placed on improving living standards and access to consumer goods
• this hope of greater prosperity resulted in unrest in East Germany, and in the USSR

Question 5

1953 Uprising - strikes

Answer 5

• on the 16th of June 1953, Stalinallee workers went on strike
• the primary aim was to stop the East German government from increasing working hours but not increasing pay
• thousands of workers went on strike the following day

Question 6

1953 Uprising - demands

Answer 6

• the workers demanded an end to the harsh economic policies of Ulbricht
• they also wanted democratic elections to return

Question 7

1953 Uprising - soviet tanks

Answer 7

• following the strikes, soviet tanks were sent in to suppress the uprising

Question 8

Impact of 1953 Uprising - repression

Answer 8

• the East German government expanded and grew the Stasi, its secret police

Question 9

Impact of 1953 Uprising - GDR/Soviet relations

Answer 9

• Soviet aid drew the two closer together

- the GDR could benefit from Soviet protection but distanced itself from Western powers

Question 10

Impact of 1953 Uprising - gains for workers

Answer 10

• the policy of increasing working hours without increasing pay was put a stop to
• more consumer goods were being produced, which helped to improve living standards

Question 11

Impact of 1953 Uprising - the soviet union’s image

Answer 11

• this uprising showed a willingness of the Soviet Union to use force and crush insurrection
• many east Germans wanted to escape the regime and move west