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Establishing and consolidating communist rule in the GDR, 1949-61 -…
Establishing and consolidating communist rule in the GDR, 1949-61 - defending the GDR
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internal developments
the GDR would promote accelerated economic growth as well as devlopments in science and technology would see it overtake the FRG by 1961
this appeared a tall order given that the FRG produced over 25% more goods than the GDR and had much more raw materials at its disposal, fitted in with Krushchev's strategy to overtake the USA.
following his assertions of control after the 1953 rebellion, Ulbricht was the undisputed ruler of the GDR and felt confident enough to set a bold agenda at the July 1958 SED Congress
economic probems
priorities were to be given to energy, electrical and engineering, chemicals and machine building in the GDR
worker productivity, meanwhile, was to be increased by 58% over this period
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however, rather than overtake the FRG, the GDR seemed to lag further behind
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this was compounded by the decision of the FRG to cut trade with the GDR in retaliation for restrictions on West Germans seeking entry in East Berlin
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the crisis of 1960-61
the 1958 crisis
this would involve first the withdrawal of Western troops from the West Berlin and then the reunification of Berlin as one city, possibly under UN stewardship
if this happened Krushchev no doubt felt the absorption of all Berlin into the GDR would oe day happen
while Krushchev hoped eventually to absorb all of Berlin into the GDR, he saw the internationalisation of the city as a first step
USA had a new president JFK, whom K saw as weak and inexperienced
he was possibly surprised by the venom of Kennedy's response that the USA was prepared to defend West Berlin by nuclear weapons if needed
this precise reference to West B told K that the USA recognised Soviet hegemony over the east of the city
at the Vienna Summit between the two leaders in June 1961, K again insisted that West withdraw its troops from Berlin within 6 months
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if the West did not agree within 6 months, he asserted that the USSR would sign one with the GDR and therefore accepting the GDR as an independent nation
in Nov 1958,n Khrushchev gave an ultimatum to the West - that Berlin should become an international city, governed by th eUN
Operation Rose, August 1961:
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those that were visiting the from the West were escorted back across the border, any visiting the West could choose to remain
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Honecker was his most loyal colleagues, he carried out Operation, it began during the night of 12-13 Aug 196. a barrier was initially building with little more barbed wire
became more and more elaborate as time went on, eventually for 97 miles around the three Western sectors and 27 miles through the centre of Berlin
as late as of June, Ulbricht assured his audience at a press conference that no one had any intention of building a wall
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the impact of the wall
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GDR had paid for the education of its most skilled citizens - now they couldn't see their services anywhere else
also meant that the leaders of the USA and USSR no longer needed to reposed to the demand of their clients
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behind the scenes many regarded the wall as a solution to problems, offered a stable border
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problems
17th Aug 1962, Peter Fetcher was shot by border guards and allowed to die in agony in no-man's land
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earliest days of the Wall two people died while jumping from upper storey windows; their apartments looked out onto streets in the West
in the early 1960s, there were various networks which built tunnels; other escapers swam across rivers and canals or crashed vehicles through barriers
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people tried to escape across the frontier, estimated 1/5 attempts were successful
conclusion
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Krushchev was reluctant to accede to this after the failure of his proposals for the future of Berlin and his lack of prospect of the new US president JFK
the building of the Wall is best seen in context of superpower relations in the late 50s and 60s when Berlin became a focus of attention