Unit 2E.2 - The German Democratic Republic, 1949-90
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Summary A* EDEXCEL GDR 1949-90 SUMMARIES
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Unit 2E.2 - The German Democratic Republic, 1949-90
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PEARSON (PEARSON)
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Communist States in the Twentieth Century
Full set of content taken from the Communist States textbook to be used for the final GDR exam. I took notes directly from the book to here and was more than enough for the final exam :)
To be used as notes, revision or to supplement as wider reading to other main textbooks.
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Unit 2E.2 - The German Democratic Republic, 1949-90
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GDR
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, 1. THE POST-WAR DIVISION OF GERMANY – a short-term strategy 2. THE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
YALTA AND POTSDAM REPARATIONS GROWING DIVISIONS BETWEEN EAST AND WEST SED POLITBURO + COUNCIL SED Politburo = highest authority. SED 50 Electoral turnout 87.4%. 14 full members in 47.
OF MINISTERS Ministers elected by Volkskammer. Single list of candidates, 99.7% approval
YALTA FEB 45 – divide Germany into 4 military zones, one From each zone to its occupational ally. TENSIONS IN ACC Role – implement wishes of Volkskammer.
governed by each ally. S gets extra 10% ind. machinery from other 3. Deutschmark plans, Russian rep walked out as they didn’t
POTSDAM JUN 45 – Allies agreed on: USSR harsh, to rebuild itself + keep G weak: consider East PEOPLE’S CHAMBER / 7 Oct 49 – rubber-stamped creation of GDR. Became Volkskammer, supreme authority.
DENAZIFICATION - Industrial equipment shipped to USSR MARSHALL AID 47 PEOPLE’S CONGRESS → Members elected by secret ballot (not really secret). Parties in gov – proportional rep.
DEMILITARISATION - Monetary payments to USSR Plan to produce finance for USA’s eco recovery. USSR VOLKSKAMMER Minister-President at top, elected by largest party in chamber.
DEINDUSTRIALISATION didn’t attend July Conference Paris 47. Responsible for determining policy, organising finance.
DEMOCRATISATION Est. total cost 45-54 = 54 million Ostmarks TRIZONIA 49
3 Western zones joined economically, capitalist
LANDERKAMMER Legislative body which represented 5 states (Landtage) of GDR. Role – reflect interests of Landtage to Volkskam.
Delegates selected from Landtage – who determined policies at land level.
STALIN’S VISION CREATION OF SED (46) BERLIN CRISIS (JUN 48 – MAY 49) Could veto (reject) legislation but Volkskammer could always override it. Abolished 58 with SED centralisation.
Reunited, preferably Communist Germany. 46 Anton Ackermann article – Germany needed to take a BERLIN BLOCKADE STASI Ministry of State Security set up 50. All-powerful + outside constitution. Headed by Erich Mielke. Role:
Germans run Sov zone under USSR supervision. peaceful path to socialism through democracy, not a Reunification unlikely – S tried to control Berlin. Detect all internal opposition to the state
Support of W/C → all zones agitate for a rev. Russian-style revolution. 48 – all land/canal routes to West Berlin blocked, Conduct espionage abroad
‘Anti-Fascist Democracy’ as a model for West. Party big enough to win elections. electricity cut off. Secure political institutions and public buildings
Govern Germany on Marxist-Leninist principles. Merger of KPD and SPD. BERLIN AIRLIFT Grew eightfold 50-52.
Which gain support – democratic vote for Com. Western zones/Berlin = no merger. Western powers organised airlift Arrested potential opponents: those who had spent time in West, appeared too worldly, supported Zionism.
Hoped USA would withdraw from Europe. 46 Referendum - 20,000 against, 3000 in favour Apr 49 – 8000 tons of supplied every day. Show trials always happened in secret, almost always ended with execution or exile.
Blockade failed, Germany was divided.
THE SMAD THE SOVIET ZONE FORMATION OF GDR 49 1949 GDR Constitution PERSONAL RIGHTS ASSURED – freedom of speech, uncensored letters in mail.
TRADE UNIONS RECOGNISED – with authority to call industrial action
Soviet Military Administration, created 45. PRIORITY: ERADICATE NAZISM: 45: May 49 – Blockade called off + FRG created. RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE OUTLAWED.
Responsible 4: military affairs, economy, civil 1 LAND REFORMS – Nazis with >100 hectares confiscated. Article 6
administration, political Qs. 33% useful agr land. ‘Stalin’s unwanted child’ Article 8 Incitement to boycott democratic institutions - can’t lead economic or cultural life/vote.
Had rivalries, confusion and incompetence 2 CONFISCATION OF PROPERTY – and firms of former Wanted united Germany, gradual route to Com Privacy in home guaranteed, unless revoked by a law applicable to all citizens
Effectively governed alongside German Comms Nazis. New public enterprises instead
Technically abolished 49 GDR creation 3 EDUCATION – for W/C, 58% uni students 50. SMAD technically abolished
3. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTS, 1949-61 4. DEFENDING THE GDR, 1949-61
SOCIALIST ECONOMICS + PLANNING NEW COURSE 53 INTERNAL DEVELOPMENTS 58 CRISIS
Based on Soviet economics. Ideologically successful and economically unsuccessful. Stalin died. Sov initative to slow socialist development, gain soc support and ease GDR Ulbricht set bold agenda 58 SED Congress: K- Berlin Ultimatum to West – Berlin should becom
Emphasis on social > personal needs e.g. housing. Emphasis on quantity > quality. into socialism. Involved: withdrawing Apr price rises, restore 2m confiscated ration cards, GDR/USSR would implement anyway If West didn’
Opposition – farmers resented collectivisation and left 750,000 hectares unused by 53. discontinue collectivisation process, produce more CGs. ACCELERATE GROWTH + DEVELOP SCI/TECH TO OVERTAKE FRG. sign peace treaty with GDR unless FRG/GDR did = r
workers grumbled, bad equipment. Like K’s USSR taking over USA. rekindled post-war controversy. Aims: neutralise B
secure Western recognition of GDR, eventually abs
war.
FIRST FIVE-YEAR PLAN JUNE REVOLT 16 JUN 53
Aims: develop HI, increase Liv.Stans above FRG and pre-war levels. Heavy machine Building workers (Stalinallee Project) marched to SED HQs, 17 th: 25,000+ @ CoM HQs,
building planned to increase 114.8% above 50 level. Central plans. wanted free elections/gov resignation. SMAD sent troops. Spread to rest of GDR/other
Adolf Henneke increased mining output by 380%. countries – sm in Poland. Failed – role of USSR, no coordination of protesters, West did ECONOMIC PROBLEMS 61 OPERATION ROSE – BERLIN WALL
Pig iron – 50 = 37,000 tons. → 55= 1,517,000 tons little to support, to reduce refugees. FRG blamed – radio stations to incite. 3.8B Ost on Secret and carried out by Honecker 12-13 Aug 61.
welfare after. Shortages: foodstuffs, high quality products, currency reserves. Westerners in East for vibrant nightlife escorted ba
GDR more dependent on USSR which was also lagging behind. Developed into barrier of concrete blocks and watc
Prioritised a socialist state based on HI, not CGs and high living standards. floodlights. 97 miles between FRG/GDR, 27 miles a
PROBLEMS WITH CENTRAL PLANNING ULBRICHT IN CONTROL
Question of continued migration was underlying issue. Designed to keep people in. only aggressive to tho
Failed to account for armed forces/reparations CGs 2% HI ind 60% Gov admitted mistakes after June Revolt.
Good-quality migrants gave FRG annual 8% growth, GDR 2.9% Impacts + Problems
Difficult to buy varied items – butter, paper, clothes. 53 shortages. SED purged of those against Ulbricht.
☺ Stable border – Kennedy said much better th
Had to make cuts to welfare budget – price rises in subsidised foodstuffs, 54 – 62% of local SED committee members elected in 52 = REMOVED
☺ Est. cost of OPEN borders = 2.5-3 Billion Ostm
wealthy had 2m ration cards confiscated. Cut wages, new work norms: SED never trusted population again. Security tightened.
☺ FRG had to accept presence of GDR even if no
Increase prod 10%, bad equipment so no bonus, so 25% wage reduction KVP became more militarised, formed basis for NVA Nat Peeps Army. CONTINUED EMIGRATION ‘Border-crossers’ – worked in West – directed
Young and well-educated. A quarter of all GDR doctors – resented by W/C who paid tax no longer paid with valuable Western curren
for their expertise. Children from West schs split up so had to tra
AGRICULTURAL COLLECTIVISATION + THE SOCIALIST SPRING DESTALINISATION
Push factors: unrealistic targets, inefficiencies, shortages, labyrinthine bureaucracy. Those expecting to go to uni → directed to m
Achieve more with shared resources and more land. More economies of scale = make Feb 56 Secret Speech
Shortage of skilled workers who helped FRG economy not GDR. Escapers
stuff in bulk. 52 – 1999 LPGs 200k hec. 55 – 6000 LPGs 1.2m h Ulbricht lukewarm to de-S. only agreed against personality cults.
Soc spring = process of collectivisation. Late 50s = 29% land run by LPGs. 59 – Grotewohl Refused to liberate regime so kept it trouble-free. 1/15 attempts successful. Tried to swim across/dig
60 – 199,188 migrants 61 until Aug – 155,402 migrants border-guards, left to die. 89 balloonist crashed in
announced plans to merge privates into LPGs. Forced campaign to overtake FRG.
Disruption, resentment, farmers → FRG.
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