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GDR EVERYTHING PART II - Coggle Diagram
GDR EVERYTHING PART II
Topic 1
Reparations
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USSR took 1,500 industrial plants and half of all East German railways
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1st 5YP (1951-55)
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production of lignite, iron, and electricity improved considerably
production of coal fell short of targets (target: 3,500 tons, actual: 2,700 tons)
not enough production of consumer goods, caused mass dissatisfaction and emigration: 500,000 emigrated between 1951-53
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2nd 5YP (1956-59)
focused more on consumer goods, living standards, and nuclear technology
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by the end of the period, private enterprise controlled just 9% of industrial production
Agriculture
Junkers were a class who were hated for being associated with the Nazis, and those with over 100 hectares were forced to forfeit them to small landowners and refugees
1/3 of all GDR farmland was reallocated to 500,000 beneficiaries, yet smaller landowners were not forced to give up their land to ensure no mass uprising
due to a lack of machinery, livestock, and expertise, production plummeted
15,000 farmers emigrated to the FRG during the 50s
Ulbricht pushed forward with the socialist spring in 1960, and by the end of the period 84% of land was collectivised
this actually led to low production, decreased by 30% in 1960-61, introduced rationing in 1961
June Uprising 1953
in June 1953, Ulbricht announced the need for a 10% increase in industrial production with no change to the wages, in line with the first 5YP
June 17th, 300 workers on the well-known stalinallee project began to strike, and were joined by thousands of demonstrators
their chants were overtly political, calling for the end of the SED
the GDR appealed to the USSR for help, as they did not trust the FRG. USSR sent 20,000 troops and 600 tanks
21 demonstrators were killed, and many more injured
Ulbircht used this as an excuse to purge the SED of 20,000 members
Slogans like "down with the government!" and "butter, not arms" were also visible. Party posters and statues – especially those depicting SED and Soviet leaders – were burned or defaced.
Topic 2
Wall
construction of the wall meant the end of mass emigration, which facilitated better economic government planning, meaning an improvement in living standards from the mid 60s to the mid 70s
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NES (1963-68)
was an experiment, focused on scientific and technological advancements, like chemicals and optics
there was still a lack of consumer goods, so people carried 'perhaps bags', and skilled workers found themselves overqualified, causing dissatisfaction
gave more power to factory managers, and financial incentives
Brezhnev ended it because he was more orthodox than Khrushchev, and believed it would create a new class of 'socialist millionaires'. Also it was an experiment
ESS (1968-71)
focused on computer technology, plastics, and chemicals
between 1968-71, the economy increased by 5.7%
by 1970, the GDR had replaced Poland as the USSR's main trading partner
also became one of the top ten industrial nations in the world, albeit at number ten
still never beat the FRG or reached targets, and there was a lack of initiative at local levels
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Membership of COMECON
joined COMECON in 1950, council led by USSR
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however was not beneficial economically, as the USSR never bought products at real market price
there was another opec crisis in 1980, when the USSR cut supplies of oil to the GDR, had to go into national debt to get sufficient amounts
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Identity
Newspapers
Neues Deutschland was the main newspaper, and Honecker approved the front page every day
all GDR publications had the same message: praising the SED and criticising the FRG for homelessness, alcoholism etc
GDR controlled 70% of all publications, with the rest being just church publications and youth magazines
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TV
used to strategically schedule popular GDR shows at the same time as Western news, to draw viewers away
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Sport
promoted sport to improve health, productivity, and at an elite level, international prestige
scouted the elite at a a young age, using scouts to send children to elite sports schools, of which there were 30, one being the Dresden Sports School. they were then taught by talented former professionals
Elite
1988, GDR won 102 medals, FRG 40 medals
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Marita Koch, her 400m running record still stands today
Rina Reinisch won three gold swimming medals, a product of Dresden Sports School
Doping
by 1989, the doping programme cost 400 million Ostmarks
some doping caused women to have a sex change, like Heidi Krieger
Women
GDR women were able to be successful as they were sponsored by the state, whereas Western women had to work and train simultaneously
1980, women won 46% of the GDR medals
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Mass Participation
in 1963, 9 million people participated in the sports festival
in 1992, a survey found that just 11.3% of sports fields were adequate for use
International
Ostpolitik
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he visited GDR in 1970, the first FRG leader ever to do so, and received a positive reception, showing reconciliation was possible
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1973 Basic Treaty meant that the two Germanys acknowledged each other's right to exist, making them more legitimate
1974 they exchanged diplomats, formally recognising each other
Economic
the FRG became the GDR's main trading partner in the 80s, and they avoided EU tariffs because they were two Germanies
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International
in 1973, the GDR joined the UN
in 1974, they had diplomatic relations with over 80 countries
Ulbricht did the first state visit to Egypt in 1965, and Honecker visited Spain, France, Austria but UK and USA refused to invite him
Ulbricht signed bilateral treaties of friendship with Bulgaria, Poland, Czechoslovakia in 1957
Topic 4
Economy
national debt was 2.2 billion DM in 1970, but had risen to 46 billion DM in 1989
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the GDR could no longer afford to keep up the Social Contract, but wanted to because it ensured high productivity and cooperation. the GDR has the highest productivity in the eastern bloc
a survey predicted that debt would rise to 52.6 billion DM by 1995, and the only solution was to cut consumption by 25-30%, and to reduce military spending
Honecker and Krenz
Honecker was 77 and had been ill for some time, he had one cancerous tumour removed but the second one eventually killed him
before this could happen Krenz, Honecker's protege and successor, took over
they were both similarly unpopular, with a popular joke being that they were the same man, except Krenz still had a gallbladder
30,000 took to the streets to protest Karen's rule, propelled by the seemingly staged and fake nature of Honecker's exit-speech
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Hungary's borders
in september 1989, Hungary quietly opened its borders with Austria, a place where GDR citizens could be granted citizenship
within two weeks, 30,000 people emigrated to the FRG
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forced Honecker to take action and close its borders, making it very isolated, as much as North Korea
caused protests, Leipzig saw regular Monday night crowds of 70,000
Events of 1989
at an evening press conference, it was wrongly announced that the wall would open with immediate effect
many rushed to the wall, and by 11:30 it was opened as a safety measure
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a few days later, 12 November, both sides agreed to open the wall
Reunification
Margaret Thatcher said to Gorbachev 'we do not want a united Germany', but USA supported it
in Elections, a western group that advocated for reunification won 48% of the vote
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the Germanys reunified in 1990, just one year after the fall of the wall
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Gorbachev
Gorbachev announced the end of the Brezhnev doctrine in 1989, Poland
censored his speeches, black market, 'unacknowledged best sellers' (Rumberg)
1988, 83% of youth supported him
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