Topic 5 East Germany politics

Question 0

SED was a powerful political force

Answer 0

Led by Walter ulbricht

People in parliament not elected in western sense ,number of seats for each party were pre determined before elections

Question 1

Constitution of GDR

Answer 1

Parliament claimed to represent people
In 1949 there was a president Wilhelm pieck who was head of state but in. 1960 his role was replaced By council of state
1949 prime minister Otto grotewohl who was head of govt but role became increasing less influential

Question 2

Stasi

Answer 2

Formed in 1950

State security service to act as ‘sword and shield of nation

Question 3

The national peoples party

Answer 3

NVA formed in 1956

Was visible presence on streets

Question 4

Democratic centralism

Answer 4

Lenin-Marxist idea
Decisions by SED would be passed down and carried out by those down the system
Views of ordinary people be carefully monitored to make sure they were keeping in line with party
Many supported this with Germans silent support of nazis and views should be changed

Question 5

A number of key figures

Answer 5

Chose to live in GDR than the west

Young people who had trusted hitler youth blamed older generation for problems of nazism and saw reasons to support GDR

Question 6

Unrest in GDR

Answer 6

1952 5km exclusion zone was created along border of east and west for extra protection, farmers forced into collectivism
1953 followed demonstrations,construction strike in Berlin and workers calling for ulbrichts resignation with soviet tanks suppressing uprising therefore although they had concessions East Germans felt abandoned

Question 7

Stasi became far more high profile

Answer 7

Ulbricht remained in control
SED became more apparent and determined to crush any unrest
Links to USSR became tighter

Question 8

The importance of the uprising

Answer 8

Some historians see it as a start of a civil war which lasted until the fall of communism in 1989
Others see it as moving towards a period of stabilisation