Post-war division of Germany

Question 1

How were Allied policies agreed and what was agreed

Answer 1

Yalta conference Feb 1945 - division into 4 zones, on agreement about accessing Berlin, priorities preventing humanitarian crises
Potsdam conference Jun 1945 - denazification, demilitarisation, democratisation, deindustrialisation (keep DE weak and pay USSR reparations)

Question 2

What were the reparations demanded in the Soviet zone

Answer 2

Cost 54bn Ostmarks 1945-54

Dismantled industrial plants and made monetary payments

Question 3

What was the ideology and government structure of Soviet policy in the Soviet zone

Answer 3

Marxist-Leninist principles - working class would rise up 
Stalin: control of DE allows comm in DE with Sov administration = 'anti-fascist democracy'. Priority = keep DE weak and prevent rise of nationalism 
Stalin: 'communism fits Germany like a saddle fits a cow' - wanted reunited DE under socialism

Question 4

How was the Socialist Unity Party formed

Answer 4

Political parties allowed 1945 - est SPD and KPD

Merge of SPD and KPD- bigger party, win elections.

Question 5

How did tensions in the Allied Control Council increase economically and politically

Answer 5

US zone suspended USSR reparations
1948 Russian representative walks out of discussions about new currency Deutschmark in W zones - ACC not making decisions for whole of DE

1948 Treaty of Brussels - military alliance in W Eur
Comm takeover of Czechoslovakia in 1948
Cold War - US concerned about comm - parties in power in Italy, E Eur under Sov control, domino theory- 1947 Truman Doctrine: fight comm

Question 6

How and why did western zones begin to co-operate

Answer 6

W DE dependent on food from E DE- semi-starvation- need to recover- requires co-operation- 1946 Bizonia created, 1949 Trizonia
Unification more likely - possibility of two distinct Germanys

Question 7

How did the USSR influence the formation of the GDR

Answer 7

SMAD replaced w/ Soviet Control Commission- Sov can overrule DE decisions
1952 Stalin’s Notes - sent offer of neutrality to W, W insists on free elections (comm wouldn’t win), Stalin rejects offer. Hist Loch: genuine from Stalin, Graml: publicity stunt, Wetting: destabilise FRG

Question 8

How was Nazism eradicated in the Soviet zone

Answer 8

Oct 1945 - confiscation of former Nazis’ property- public enterprises w/ working class managers- more jobs dependent on regime

Former Nazis and dissident comms put in concentration camps

Land reforms - >100ha- redistributed w/ little machinery or livestock- abandoned. (33% useful agri land)

More higher educ for working class- dependent on regime

Question 9

What is the background to the formation of the GDR

Answer 9

Cities bombed
Currency collapsed
Fear of starvation and outbreaks of disease
Sov zone - men:women 100:135 due to war losses

Question 10

Why and how did the Berlin blockade and airlift happen

Answer 10

Stalin wants control of Berlin- Jun 1948 bloackade, electricity and land + canal routes cut- choice or starvation or joining Sov zone
Sep 1948 - 8000 tonnes a day. Allied don’t give in- blockade ended

Question 11

How was military administration used in the GDR and who led it

Answer 11

Soviet Military Administration (SMAD) governed - ensures Stalin’s control and supervised DE leaders
Ulbricht and Pieck trained in USSE - Ulbricht: ‘it’s got to look democratic but we must have everything under our control’
German Economic Commission had some degree of autonomy

Question 12

What were the strategical and reparational results of Allied policies

Answer 12

No long term strategy

Reparations from allied zones - Stalin got machinery and extra in return for food + raw materials

Question 13

What were results of reparations demanded

Answer 13

Deliberately kept DE weak - plants left to rust once dissembled but more efficient one Sov weren’t benefitting
Cost resented but DE often apathetic - Hist Grieder: DE too busy trying to survive

Question 14

Describe SPD and KPD policies

Answer 14

KPD and SPD wanted state control of industry and abolish private ownership. CDU and LPD allowed - similar goals.
KPD manifesto: expropriation of former Nazi property
Policy not supported in W zones

Question 15

How did popularity of the SED change?

Answer 15

Membership = 1.3mn in 1946, 2mn in 1948
Lack of support for SED in free elections - Oct 1946 in Berlin: <20%
Hist: forced due to Soc influence. But SPD leader: disunity weakened socialist parties under Nazis

Question 16

How were the GDR and its laws formed

Answer 16

1947 People’s Congress ets to work towards unity - agree draft Constitution but were rubber-stamping Pieck’s decision
State ratified May 1949. Voters given list of candidates to approve or reject - 66% support

Question 17

What was Stalin’s view of communism in the GDR

Answer 17

Stalin: graudal route to comm, doubted SED had power to impose comm and feared international reaction
GDR = Stalin’s ‘unwanted child’ - Hist M Dennis: created out of default not design

Question 17

What was Stalin’s view of communism in the GDR

Answer 17

Stalin: graudal route to comm, doubted SED had power to impose comm and feared international reaction
GDR = Stalin’s ‘unwanted child’ - Hist M Dennis: created out of default not design

Question 18

What were the results of the Berlin blockade and airlift

Answer 18

Resulted in more divided DE

Question 19

What economic development started after the Berlin airlift

Answer 19

Deutschmark success- rationing ended and econ progress. Sov zone in poverty but retaliated w/ Ostmark est