Germany - 7.2. Divided Germany: DDR

Question 1

What is democratic centralism?

Answer 1

A principle of Communist party organisation where members take part in policy discussions and elections at all levels, but must follow decisions made at higher levels (SED).

Question 2

What was the Politburo?

Answer 2

The highest executive body of a Communist Party. They were in charge of all the decision making.

Question 3

Who was the first General Secretary?

Answer 3

Walter Ulbricht, SED party leader from 1946-71

Question 4

What was the reality of ‘party pluralism’?

Answer 4

Gave the image of democratic system, but reality was the spread and implementation of SED ideology

Question 5

Denazification was used to centralise the political system. What % of judges by 1950 were members of the SED?

Answer 5

50%

Question 6

How did this affect the judiciary system?

Answer 6

Judges were largely untrained, controlled by SED institutions.

Question 7

What was the purpose of criminal law?

Answer 7

To suppress all opposition

Question 8

What was the name given to the secret police that removed opposition?

Answer 8

Stasi

Question 9

Who was the Stasi Minister?

Answer 9

Erich Mielke

Question 10

What were Informal Members (IMs)?

Answer 10

Citizens who spied and denounced traitors or opposition of the SED

Question 11

Who were the IMs under direct control by?

Answer 11

Politburo

Question 12

The People’s Police (VP) had a traditional policing role, but also had what?

Answer 12

Paramilitary rapid response units

Question 13

What does the NVA stand for?

Answer 13

The National People’s Army - traditional army used to control the population.

Question 14

The SMAD consisted of soviet troops stationed in barracks across the GDR. What were they ready to defend against?

Answer 14

Possible NATO attacks.

Question 15

What problems did the DDR economy face?

Answer 15

There was a shortage of raw materials usually supplied by West Germany
Provinces and vital coal supplies were lost to Poland
Limitations of industrial development – experts had been taken to USSR

Question 16

What does ‘state capitalism’ mean?

Answer 16

A political system in which the state has control of production and the use of capital.

Question 17

How did comecon (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance) impact foreign trade?

Answer 17

+ Foreign trade trebled between 1950-1955.
- Most of the trade was geared to the demands of the USSR. Machinery was exchanged for raw materials but market prices were never paid for these goods so it wasn’t profitable.

Question 18

What was collectivisation?

Answer 18

Working together on farms and sharing machinery. Agricultural production cooperatives (LPGs) were formed.

Question 19

What industry did the Five Year (51-55) Plan focus on?

Answer 19

Heavy industry eg. steel and coal. Too much emphasis on what the USSR needed, not the consumer goods the GDR needed.

Question 20

How were workers affected by economic changes?

Answer 20

Increased pressure on workers to achieve productivity.

Question 21

What was the brain drain and how did this effect the DDR economy?

Answer 21

Voting with their feet - young professionals leaving GDR