Politics in the GDR Flashcards
How did the GDR’s constitution appear similar to the West?
it claimed to be temporary, creating a provisional state that was waiting for reunification
How was the GDR’s constitution different to that of the West?
the system was based on democratic centralism
What parliament did the constitution establish?
the Volkskammer, which claimed to represent the people
Why was the Volkskammer not totally democratically elected?
the number of seats for each party was allocated before each election
Who were each of these parties increasingly under the control of?
the SED (the leading party) even if there was a formal pretence of a multi-party system
What was the Länderkammer?
the Upper House
What was the Upper House?
the Länderkammer, which represented the five regions
What was the President?
the formal head of state
put in place initially but then replaced by the Council of State in 1960
What was there also?
a prime minister, but they played a less significant role than the general secretary of the SED
In reality, where did power remain?
With the Communist Party and its General Secretary, Walter Ulbricht; the Politburo, the Central Committee & the local party units
What further changes, which served to strengthen the position of the Communist Party, were also implemented?
the Länder were abolished in 1952 + replaced by the Bezirke (smaller units) which were easier to control
the Upper House was abolished in 1958
When was the Länder abolished?
1952
replaced by smaller units which were easier to control
When was the Upper House abolished?
in 1958
How did the Party gain further control?
by the creation of a ‘state within a state’
the establishment of the Stasi in 1950
the threat of Soviet tanks + troops which had remained stationed in the country since the end of WW2
Who were the Stasi supported by?
the ‘People’s Police in Barracks’ which became the ‘National People’s Army’ in 1956
the regular police + border guards
What does the system of democratic centralism mean?
based on Marxist-Leninist view
decisions were taken at the centre + passed down and implemented below
Communist ideals and the Party were to influence those at grass roots
Why did some people believe that democratic centralism was better than what they had before?
because they argued that many people had supported Hitler and needed to be re-educated as they could not be trusted
What were the signs of growing unrest before the events of June 1953?
(long term causes)
many disapproved of the stricter border controls, enforced collectivisation & the pressure to increase productivity
all of which was furthered in the 1952 announcement ‘Building of Socialism’
What encouraged unrest ?
(short term causes)
the death of Stalin (Mar 1953)
the apparent promise of greater freedoms with the New Course, which was circulating in Moscow
When did Stalin die?
March 1953
What was the ‘Building of Socialism’ ?
a policy that emphasised increasing productivity and rapid change
Why was there an uprising in 1953?
Ulbricht called to Moscow & told his policies were causing disquiet, changes were necessary
however contradictory announcements made by East German Politburo made matters worse
Middle Class were reassured, workers were told their conditions would be made worse
changes were announced before there had been attempt to convince people of such necessities through gov-controlled press
What were workers told? (which led to the 1953 Uprising)
their conditions would become worse as productivity would have to rise by 10%, but wages would remain the same
Which of Ulbricht’s policies were causing disquiet + change was necessary?
his policies on border controls, collectivisation + increased productivity
When was the Uprising?
16th June 1953
What happened in the 1953 Uprising?
Workers on the Stalinallee went on strike + demanded an end to increased working hours for no more pay
there was a call for a general strike, the next day thousands of workers joined in
they demanded the end of Ulbricht’s economic policies, his removal & democratic elections
What did the Workers in the uprising/general strike demand?
the end of Ulbricht’s economic policies, his removal and democratic elections
What did Ulbricht do, in reaction to the Uprising?
fearful of the loyalty of his own security forces + concerned for his own position, he called on Soviet forces to crush the rising
What were the positive impacts of the 1953 Uprising?
although it was crushed, the protesters did win concessions
the increase in working hours was ended
more consumer goods were to be produced to improve living standards
What were the negative impacts of the 1953 uprising?
The SED became more worried about potential unrest & adopted a harder line, increasing the powers and size of the Stasi
Ulbricht’s power was strengthened
it became apparent that the West would not intervene to help
Drew East Germany closer to the Soviet bloc
Why was Ulbricht’s power strengthened, as a result of the 1953 Uprising?
as it was believed that any weakening of his position would have been a sign of giving in to the protesters
What were the aims of the GDR?
To create a socialist paradise based on Marxist-Leninist ideology, and socialist equality
embedding socialism in East Germany, as a soviet satellite state
