HCHS Germany: A LEVEL UNIT 3 - German Reunification Flashcards
What was the significance of Willy Brandt’s Ostpolitik?
Lowered tension between East and West Germany
What was the Basic Treaty of 1972?
East and West Germany officially recognised each other’s right to exist
When did Honecker first visit the FRG?
1987
When did Gorbachev become leader of the USSR?
1985
What were Gorbachev’s two main policies?
Glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring)
Why did Gorbachev need to bring about change in the USSR?
Weak economy, military overspend, too much support to Eastern bloc countries
How much did the GDR borrow from the FRG in the early 1980s?
DM1.95 billion
By 1988, how many East Germans had migrated to the FRG?
30,000 (an increase of 18,500)
By 1989, how many East Germans had migrated to the FRG?
48,000 in the first few months
From 1987-88, how many East Germans were allowed to travel to the FRG to work?
6.2 million
What did the Hunagarian government announce on 2nd May, 1989?
Barbed wire fencing along the border with Austria was removed
What did many East Germans do in the summer of 1989?
Go on holiday to Hungary to cross the border to Austria
What did the Hungarian government announce on 9th August 1989
They would no longer stamp GDR citizens’ passports (so they wouldn’t be deported back)
Following Hungary, where did refugees go to to try and leave the East?
FRG embassies in Prague, Budapest, Warsaw and East Berlin
How many refugees crossed the Austria border from Hungary on 20th August 1989?
500
How many refugees did Austria accept on 1st September 1989?
20,000
What did Poland announce on 16th September 1989?
GDR refugees could cross to the West
How many GDR refugees fled Prague (to the West) in September 1989?
15,000
By 3rd November, how many refugees were camped around the FRG embassy in Prague?
45,000
By November 1989, how many people left the GDR each day?
9,000
How many East Germans left the GDR from August-November 1989?
200,000
Why was there a lack of leadership in the GDR during the refugee crisis
Honecker was ill with a gall bladder infection
What happened in Dresden in October 1989?
A 3 hour riot involving 10,000 East Germans as a train from Prague travelled through
What did people throw from the train going through Dresden?
Passports so other East Germans could escape
Why was 7th October 1989 an important date for the GDR
40th anniversary celebration
What started on 9th October 1989
Leipzig protests - 70,000 protesters
How big were the Leipzig protests by 17th October 1989?
100,000 each night
When was Honecker replaced and by whom?
17th October 1989 and Egon Krenz
Why was Krenz’s leadership flawed?
He refused to make any changes to the laws in the GDR
How many protesters were there across the GDR by November 1989?
750,000
What did East Germans demand on 4th November 1989?
Political freedom, legal opposition groups and unrestricted travel
Who annouced travel rights on 9th November 1989?
Gunter Schabowski
What happened following Schabowski’s annoucement?
10,000s of East Germans crossed the border at the Berlin Wall
How many Soviet soldiers were in the GDR in November and what did they do?
1.5million and they did nothing on 9th November 1989
What happened to the SED leadership on 13th November 1989
Krenz was sacked and Gregor Gysi and Hans Modrow took over
In the week after the fall of the Berlin Wall, how many East Germans fled West?
17,000
When did Helmut Kohl announce his Ten Point Programme?
28th November 1989
What was Kohl’s Ten Point Plan?
Link the two Germanys and move to reunification in 5-10 years
What happened in Dresden on 19th December 1989?
Helmut Kohl visited the GDR and 100,000 people listened to him
When was Germany reunified?
Midnight between 2nd and 3rd October 1990
In which industry was the GDR relatively advanced?
Microelecttronics and computer technology
Give on result of the industrial growth in East Germany
They had the highest levels of carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide in the world
How much lower was the life expectancy of GDR citizens compared to the FRG?
2 1/2 years lower for men and 7 years lower for women
How mant GDR citizens left the country in January 1990?
60,000
By how much did the GDR’s productivity decline following the fall of the Berlin Wall?
50%
When was the Stasi HQ stormed by protesters?
15th january 1990
How did Modrow try to appease protesters in March 1990
Called for elections for 18th March 1990
What was the result of the GDR’s March 1990 election?
Alliance for Germany (CDU supported coalition) won 192 of 400 seats. SPD won 88
Who took control of the GDR following the March 1990 elections?
Eastern CDU leader Lothar de Maiziere
When did the monetary, economic and social union of Germany take place?
1st July 1990
Why were France and the UK against German reunification?
Fear of a powerful Germany, fear of war, fear of a greater German economy
When was the Four Powers meeting?
11th December 1989 - USA, USSR, UK and France
What was the USA’s requirement for accepting German reunification?
That they be a member of NATO
Why did Kohl have an advantage during talks with the Allied powers?
The GDR was collapsing and there was a fear of anarchy
When were the Two pus Four negotiations?
March 1990
Why was the USSR willing to back down over reunification?
The were suffering an economic crisis
When did Gorbachev accept Germany could join NATO?
May 1990
What was signed on 12th September 1990?
Treaty on the Final Settlement with Respect to Germany
