Theme D Flashcards
When and what was the Koko?
“Commercial Coordination”
1966 onwards
Led by Schalk-Godolowski
Sold arms to 3rd world e.g. Iran Iraq war
Sold political prisoners to West for 100,000 DM
Exported valuable antiques, confiscated…
GDR took care of nuclear waste from western stations for 8 billion DM
What and when were the Strauss loans?
GDR got big western credit deal - dependency
West prepared to keep funding in return for increased ew contact
1bil in 1982
Nearly 1 bil in 1983
When were the two oil shocks?
1973 crisis
1979-80: USSR cuts cheap oil/gas supplies to GDR
How did GDR spending on welfare (housing, education, health, subsidies) change 1980-85?
Increased by 54%
What was private enterprise like mid-1970s?
Nearly all gone
How much of the GDR/FRG population had cars mid-80s?
1/2 GDR
Nearly all FRG
How did Helsinki impact on the amount of exit visas and first time travel applications requested by GDR citizens?
Late 70s 4,600 exit visas granted, 7,200 travel as
Early 80s 7,000 granted, 12,600 travel as!
What and when was the Berlin Appeal?
1982
Wanted demilitarisation-> swords into ploughshares
What and when was the Olaf Palme peace march?
1987
Protested nuclear weapons
SED supported world peace but unofficial banners were against their wishes
What and when were the Luxembourg and Liebknecht parades?
1988 and 1989
Celebrated two founders of German communism
Were ‘hijacked’ by private banners e.g. Luxembourg quote “freedom is always the freedom to think differently”- demanding reform
When was Sputnik banned in the GDR?
Soviet newspaper
Banned 1987
In response to USSR glasnost
How did visits from the FRG increase due to Ostpolitik by the late 1970s?
6.4 mil visits FRG->GDR by late 70s
What happened in the May 1989 elections?
Obvious fraud
SED discounted abstention/no votes
SED doctored results in front of watching activists
Officially only 1.15% were against the regime, reality probably closer to 20%
When was school military training introduced?
1978
What was the Berlin Zionskirche ‘green’ library?
Set up Sept 1986
Space for ecological groups
By how much did the Stasi grow during the 1970s?
By 60%
When and where was the Solidarity movement formed?
Poland, 1980
Wins an electoral victory in June 1989 and forms govt
What was the ‘Women for Peace’ group?
Late 1983- members arrested for demonstrating (traitorous espionage), then released
What happened at the Nikolae Church in Leipzig?
1988- civil rights activists start meeting there and praying for peace
Marchers went to peace prayers on 9 Oct
Local Party leader had authorisation to use force from Honecker but not Krenz. He let them pass with no guidance from ruling centre.
When did Hungary open its border with Austria?
How many left within 3 days?
10 Sept 1989
15,000
When and what was Tiananmen Square?
June 4 1989
Massacre with Chinese army vs peaceful demonstrators, GDR approves of actions
What and when were the Monday Demonstrations?
4th Sept became more significant- 1200 protest for emigration rights- shouted “we want out” as well as “we’re staying here”
70,000 by 9th Oct!
What was the Battle for Dresden Station?
4 Oct 1989
Natural point for travel to Czechoslovakia, and when GDR closed border to Cz on 3 Oct this increased sense of crisis
People began blocking Dresden train tracks in hopes of forcibly boarding trains- this was 15,000 by 4 Oct
Use of force authorised to security, protestors retaliated
At least 16 soldiers mutinied, risking court martial
Provoked alliance of emigration and democracy movements
When did Honecker get replaced?
18th Oct
Replaced by unanimous vote with Krenz
When was the GDR border opened? How?
9 Nov
By mistake- Schabowski at a press conference said travel restrictions would be ending with immediate effect, as opposed to slower issue of visas and passports
People swarmed and guards couldn’t stop them- opened gates as crowd protection method
Superiors said to keep everything as normal
Checkpoint officials said to let through loudest protestors but then trap them in WB- crowd realised and protested
Individual guards made uncoordinated decisions
What happened on the 40th anniversary of the GDR founding (from 1949)?
Gorbachev visited the GDR as guest of honour
6 Oct
Celebrations masked domestic demonstrations
Participants chanted “Gorby help us”
Gorby didn’t want to intervene
Led to overthrow of Honecker
What was Gorbachev’s reaction to the opening of the Wall?
9-10 Nov he said he endorsed it in hindsight
Feb 1990 he gave green light for German reunification
July 1990 he consented to Germany becoming a NATO member!
What were GDR political opposition groups?
Democracy Now Oct 1989
New Forum Sept
How many SED members left in Dec 1989?
1/2 million
Mass resignation and mistrust of SED
How did Krenz fall from power?
1 Dec SED abandons political power monopoly and loses popular support
Mielke and Mittag arrested, Krenz pressured to resign
2 Dec SED protest
3 Dec Krenz resigns
Mid-Dec SED reforms itself but retreats from power after 15 Jan 1990
How did the Stasi try to defend its stash of files?
Did it survive?
Intensified destruction of files from 29 Nov
In early Dec, 500 members of Stasi elite blockade their Hq to stop removal of files by public
Early Dec collapse, mid-Dec reformed SED resurrected the idea of a secret service but this was officially abolished on Jan 15th 1990
What were the Round Table talks?
First convened on 7th Dec
Sought ways to overcome crisis
Civic groups, SED, church
Not much respect at start, but gained more in January
- school of democracy w/o having been democratically elected
Who was Modrow?
New PM of the GDR in Nov 1989
When did demonstration slogans change from we are the people?
Dec 1989 ->
We are one people
Who was Helmut Kohl and what was his 10 Point Plan?
WG chancellor and leader of Christian party CDU
Laid grounds for reunification
How did refugees increase from the East in late 1989?
Swelled to around 2,000 per day!
Made reunification increasingly logical
