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GDR EVERYTHING - Coggle Diagram
GDR EVERYTHING
Topic 4
Economy
in 1970, the debt was 2.2 billion DM, by 1989 this was 46 billion
in the 80s, people started wanting better consumer goods after seeing what was offered by the West
The GDR could no longer afford the Social Contract, but wanted to keep it so that productivity would stay high. The GDR had the highest productivity in the Eastern Bloc
a survey found that by 1995, the debt would be 52.6 billion, and the only solution was to cut consumption by 25-30%
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Gorbachev
Gorbachev announced the end of the Brezhnev Doctrine in 1989, which promised the USSR would interfere in any country where socialism was under threat. Instead, he introduced the Sinatra Doctrine
later that same year, Poland elected their first non-communist leader
The GDR began to censor Gorbachev, but there was a black market for his speeches
they latched on to him as a new kind of communist leader, who offered an alternative
It all came to a head at the 40th anniversary celebrations of the GDR, where people shouted 'Gorby!' and some even 'Gorby save us!'
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Honecker
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he was 77 and had been ill for some time with cancer, one cancerous tumour was removed but a second one eventually killed him
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Krenz
Krenz replaced Honecker before there was a biological solution, before he died
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unfortunately, Krenz was just as unpopular as Honecker, people joked that they were the same man but one still had a gall bladder
30,000 people protested against Krenz's rule
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Hungary and Austria
in 1989, Hungary opened its borders with Austria, a place where people could find refuge and citizenship away from the GDR
within two weeks, 30,000 people fled from the GDR to Austria
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Honecker was forced to close the borders of the GDR, making the country as isolated as North Korea
Events of 1989
at a nighttime press conference, it was wrongly reported that the borders would be opened with immediate effect
people immediately began to go to the wall, and the guards had to open it as a safety measure
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a few days later on the 12th of November, the wall was officially opened and people were allowed through
Elections
after the fall of the wall, the SeD were still determined to keep the regime
however, in elections, a party that advocated for full reunification won 48% of the votes
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Reunification
Thatcher did not want it, she said to Gorby: 'we do not want a united Germany'
within the GDR, the call 'we are one people!' became ubiquitous
January 1990 alone, 70,000 people left the GDR to settle in the FRG
Topic 2
Aftermath of the Wall
After the construction of the wall in 1961, mass emigration ended, ensuring a more stable workforce, that facilitated better economic government planning
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NES (1963-68)
focused on technological and scientific developments: chemicals, optics
still a total lack of consumer goods, causing dissatisfaction, and also over-skilled workers found themselves over-qualified for jobs, also offered financial incentives
Brezhnev ended the NES when he took over from Khrushchev, because he was more orthodox
he was worried that the NES would create a new class of 'socialist millionaires' who would jeopardise the regime
ESS (1968-71)
focused on computer technology, chemicals, and plastics
by 1970, had replaced Poland as the USSR's main trading partner
had also become one of the top ten industrial nations in the world, albeit at number ten
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still didn't reach targets or beat the FRG, and there was no incentive at a local level
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COMECON
GDR joined COMECON in 1950, the Council led by USSR
by the 1980s, 76% of GDR trade with USSR and Eastern Bloc
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However, it was not economically beneficial to be in COMECON, as the USSR never bought the goods at real market price
when there was another OPEC crisis in 1980, the USSR cut the the supply of oil to GDR, which meant they had to go in to debt to buy sufficient amounts
Newspapers
the main one was Neues Deutschland, and Honecker approved the front page every day
The GDR controlled 70% of all GDR publications, with the rest being just youth magazines and church publications which only reported on religious issues
they all had the same message, that the SED leaders were great and the FRG were drunks, unemployed, and took drugs
Radio
by 1985, there were 6.6 million licensed radios in the GDR
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TV
The GDR scheduled their most popular tv shows at the same time as Western news, to draw viewers away
there was a popular show called the Sandman, which generations adored
Sport
GDR promoted sport to improve health, productivity and, at an international level, prestige
The elite were scouted at a young age and sent to special sports schools - of which there were 30. They were then trained by talented former players
Elite
in 1988, the GDR got 102 medals, and the FRG only 40
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Doping
by 1989, the doping programme cost 400 million Ostmarks
Women
The GDR were able to have more successful female sportswomen than the West, as in the GDR they were sponsored by the state, but in the west women had to work and train at the same time
in 1980, women got 46% of the GDR medals
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Mass Participation
in 1963, 9 million people participated in the national sports festival
but in 1992, just years after the end of the GDR, a survey found that just 11.3% of the sports fields were adequate for use
The GDR tried to promote sports that didn't require much equipment, like running
Topic 1
Reparations
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USSR took 1,500 industrial plants and half of all East German Railway tracks
until 1950, took 25% of all industrial goods produced in the GDR
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1st 5YP (1951-55)
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production of lignite, iron, and electricity improved considerably
coal fell short of target, target: 3,500 tons and actual: 2,700 tons
not enough consumer goods caused mass dissatisfaction and emigration: 500,000 between 1951-53
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2nd 5YP (1956-59)
more focus on consumer goods, living standards and nuclear energy
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by the end of the period, private enterprise controlled just 9% of industrial production
'modernisation, mechanisation and automation'
Agriculture
Junker class was hated as being associated with the Nazis, so Junkers with over 100 hectares were forced to give up their land and give it to smaller farmers and refugees
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1/3 of all GDR farmland was reallocated to 500,000 beneficiaries
a lack of machinery, livestock and expertise caused low production
15,000 farmers emigrated to FRG in the 50s
Ulbricht pushed forward with socialist spring in 1960, and by the end of the year 84% of land was collectivised
between 1960-61, agricultural production decreased by 30%, and rationing was introduced in 1961
June Uprising 1953
in June 1953, Ulbricht announced the need for a 10% increase in industrial production without any change to the wages, in line with the 1st 5YP
June 17th, 300 workers from the Stalinallee project began to strike, and were joined by thousands of demonstrators
their chants were overtly political, like calling for the end of the SED
GDR appealed to the USSR for help, who sent 20,000 troops and 600 tanks, 21 demonstrators were killed and many more injured
Ulbricht purged 20,000 members of the SED
International Prestige
Ostpolitik
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in 1970 he visited the GDR, the first FRG leader to do so, and he received a positive welcome, showing reconciliation was possible
1971, Four Powers Agreement, west Berliners were able to visit the east
1974, they exchanged diplomats and formally recognised each other
Economy
by the 80s, the FRG became the GDR's main trading partner, they avoided EU tariffs as they were two Germanies
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1973, Basic Treaty meant two Germaines acknowledged each others right to exist
Internationally
in 1973, GDR joined the UN
in 1974, GDR had diplomatic relations with 80 countries
the first state visit was Ulbricht to Egypt in 1965, and then Honecker visited Spain, France, Austria. But the UK and USA did not invite him
Ulbricht signed Bilateral Treaties of Friendship with Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria in 1957