Post War Germany (East) Flashcards
East Germany (USSR)
When did the Soviets permit re-establishment of non-fascist democratic parties?
10/6/1945
What did Kurt Schumacher do in resistance of the soviet reforms?
He fought against the states aims to merge with the communists, for a united socialist party. (SED). This was successful in the West but not the East
Who was the soviet leader of the SPD?
Otto Grotewohl
Who was the soviet leader of the CDU?
Jakob Kaiser
Who was the soviet leader of the LDPD?
Wilhelm Külz
What contributed to the USSR feeling tense leading up to the Berlin Blockade?
The severe losses after the war The issues over currency The Benelux meetings Bizonia Truman Docterine Marshall Plan
What had the USSR lost by 1945?
20 million civilians had died
70,000 villages destroyed
Lost 1/3 of their wealth
What had the USSR gained by 1945?
Widely respected globally, which many in Europe were grateful for communism
Largest army
Why were they tensions from the currency before the blockade?
The USSR saw the Wests Deutschmark as deliberately under mining the East.
The east changed their currency to Ostmark in East Germany and East Berlin, so the West did the same.
Why were they tensions from the Benelux before the blockade?
The allies and six powers had a conference in London in 1948 about the new ethology and economy but the Soviets were not invited
Why were they tensions from Bizonia and marshall aid before the blockade?
Stalin saw it as an attempt to undermine East Europe. America poured money into West Germany and Berlin and it infuriated Stalin
What was the Warsaw Pact?
Russian troops were sent to Communist countries.
Soviet version of NATO
When did Soviets successfully test an atomic bomb?
1949
How have Soviets been seen as the cause for the Berlin Blockade?
Soviets exploited all the economic potential to pay for the costs of war. They were determined to secure their own safety through satellite states e.g. Poland and Czech
What does GDR stand for?
German Democratic Republic
When was the GDR created?
7/10/1949
Where was the capital of GDR?
East Berlin
Who were the GDR’s leaders and when?
President= Wilhelm Pleck (1949-60)
Prime Minister= Otto Grotewohl (1949-60)
SED leader= Walter Ulbricht (1946-1971)
What was the state of East Germanys economic stability by 1948?
Soviets had given Nazi property to the state and gave huge land to struggling farmers. Overall industrial capacity had fallen dramatically from being virtually dismantled
What was the aim of the Berlin Blockade?
To try and stop West plans for currency and to make them surrender West Berlin
What was the ‘two state theory’?
The USSR launched ‘two state theory’ claiming two sovereign German states both representing the German nation
How did the GDR become sovereign?
The USSR changed its policies by giving GDR full sovereignty and by integrating the GDR into the Warsaw Pact in 1955 for a defensive alliance of the USSR and other countries of central east europe in soviet regime.
Why was there a mergence between the KPD and SPD?
Communists weren’t winning sufficient popularity to secure mass political basis in places such as Austria and Hungary
Who pressured a mergence to the KPD and SPD?
SMAD pressured the SPD and KPD to merge through threatening, arrests and censorship
When did the SPD and KPD merge to the SED?
22 April 1946
What is significant about the mergence between SPD and KPD?
Was not entirely democratic
How was the SED protected?
SED enjoyed SMAD backing
What was the impact of the SED on chances of reunification?
SED put up a new hurdle for the chances of further political cooperation in East and West zone
What was the stability of the SED?
October 1946- failed to gain majority of 47.5%, failing offer to independence path to socialism
SED was regularly purged to conform soviet policies
What was the SED’s political standing?
Jan 1948 - SED conference adopting party structure after soviet model in Russia.
‘A party of a new type’- democratic centralism
What was the state of the communist unity in the Cold War by late 1940s?
Tensions between soviets and most communist parties in the ‘eastern bloc’
What economic limitations did East Germany face?
Little industrial base
Industries were stripped for Russian reparations
Restrictions for economic growth due to communism
What limitations did the people have on freedom in Eastern Germany?
Limited freedom within society ' Lack of democracy role of Stasi Censorship National Peoples Army (NVA) Soviets troops were present
What foreign policy limitations did East Germany face?
Restricted foreign policy making Germany isolated
Restricted trade
When did the Stasi start?
February 1950
What was the aim of the Stasi?
‘to fight against the saboteurs’ and ‘capitalist agents’ who try to ‘undermine the progress’
What was the structure of the Stasi?
Army like structure with military hierarchy, ranks and punishments
How much had the Stasi membership increased?
went from 100 permanent members to 1300 in 1955
What was the state of the informal members in the Stasi?
Variety of citizens that spied on each other that were contracted and guided by Stasi officers and file kept secretly
How many members were the informal members of the Stasi?
175,000 informal members to spy the populations of 16.1 million
Who was Erich Mielke?
Influential Stasi minister
What was the strength and legal basis of the Stasi?
Worked under strict secrecy and direct authorisation from SED
No legal restraint on aims/ methods stopping at nothing
Stasi developed omnipresent organised used for surveillance and control of whole population
How did the Stasi censor/ repress the public?
Private letters were open, homes bugged and searched
bank statements and patients record-bombed through people could be arrested and questioned without charge and kept in prison under psychological torture
What does it take to strike suspicion amongst the Stasi?
Failing to conform
Listening to Western music
Having long hair
Formation of a group not organised under the state
What are the positives of the eastern economy?
Had some areas of light industry, like chemicals and textiles
Less war damage
Substantial agricultural resources
How was the economy starting to fail in Eastern Germany?
Lacked raw materials. Areas that did have them were given to Poland
Coping with an influx of refugees from Eastern Europe
No effective currency
1948 industrial output had fallen dramatically
How did the Russian reparations drag down the East German economy?
Hindered by Russian reparations (dismantled machinery, skilled workers and scientists sent to Russia)
1400 industrial plants sent to Russia
Who were the VEB and what was the state of the privately owned industries?
VEB (owned by people and managed by the state)- strict target and disciple.
By 1948, 39% remained in private hands (2/3 of industry were taken over by the state)
What was the 5 year plan in 1951-55?
Ambitious aims
Officially over fulfilling its targets and industrial production doubled
Heavy industry at the expense of consumer good
What was the negatives of the 5 year plan in 1951-55?
Centralised planning was slow and inflexible.
Production focussed on quantity rather quality to meet targets
Quotas pressured GDR, luring workers to the west
What was the soviet response to the Marshall plan?
Stalin refused the GDR to join the Marshall Plan
Comecon in response to the Marshall Plan and the GDR joined in 1950
How was land reformed and distributed in the GDR?
7000 Junker land was distributed elsewhere (2/3)
4 million settled in 7 hectives.
What was the collectivisation policy?
Collectivisation policy of smaller plots, coordinated and collectivised farmers that were LPG’s.
Ideology of collectivisation was principal development of communist economy
What was the impact of collectivisation?
Farmers voted with their feat to the FRG
Targets were set but control was lost
What was the state of farmed land in 1953?
13% of agricultural land wasn’t being farmed at all
land was being farmed inefficiently with inexperienced workers
What was the impact of food during the poor agriculture?
Food shortages and food rationing had to continue until 1958
How many people left GDR?
1949= 75,000 1952= 171,000
How did the decisions of Ulbricht and SED contribute to the Berlin Uprising in 1953?
Decided to accelerate the ‘systematic building of socialism’ - including rapid industrialisation and collectivisation and control
How did the treatment of the Middle Class contribute to the mood leading up to the Berlin Uprising in 1953?
Middle class received high tax and administrative harassment and political persecution
How did the treatment of the Farmers contribute to the mood leading up to the Berlin Uprising in 1953?
Majority of independent farmers resented low prices and the states strict directives
How did the treatment of the Workers contribute to the mood leading up to the Berlin Uprising in 1953?
Workers faced rising prices and food shortages but wages were still controlled
How was dissatisfaction increasing in the early 1950s?
Austere environment in the early 1950s
Dissatisfaction and Landers were abolished, churches were restricted and the Stasi was expanded to suppress criticism
What happened in March that contributed to the short term causes of the Berlin Uprising?
Stalins death
attempts to ease stalinism strictness to overcome economic situation and population bitterness. bitterness came from the expectation that things would change
What happened in May that contributed to the short term causes of the Berlin Uprising?
The GDR proposed 10% rise in productivity and working hours to reach targets in short time (matching the FRG) that triggered the strikes.
Ulbrict and Grotewohl failed to diffuse the crisis
How did the Berlin Uprising in 1953 start?
Started as a peaceful protest of building workers which grew into a general protest against the government party.
How did the Berlin Uprising in 1953 escalate?
The next day after it started, 100,000 protestors came out on the East Berlin streets
Protests spread to 50 cities, towns and communities- so there were a further 200,000-300,000
What percent of the work force were protesting in the Berlin Uprising 1953?
5-7% of the workforce
How did soviet invention successful end the Berlin Uprising?
Soviet command in East Berlin came in and tanks and troops were sent to crush
How did the poor organisation contribute to the failure of the Berlin Uprising?
Spontaneous
No coordination or planning
No arrangement to seize power or had any strategic points
How did the West fail to intervene in the Berlin Uprising?
No West supporters would rise military involvement
How did the Berlin Uprising end?
Soviets re-establish order with estimated 20-50 facilities across the country
How were the protestors of the Berlin Uprising punished?
Approx 1300 were put on trial, mostly getting a long prison sentence, 2 death penalties
