MOSCOW, April 1 - RIA Novosti, Anton Lisitsyn. The Bundeswehr received a directive - what examples from the military past should we be proud of? German soldiers. As far as the GDR army is concerned, only those who “revolted against the rule of the SED or have special merits in the struggle for German unity” are supposed to be honored. IN united Germany There live two culturally different peoples - from Germany and the GDR. Why citizens of the former German Democratic Republic feel “nostalgia” for the times of “totalitarianism” - in the material of RIA Novosti.
"They want to show how their parents lived"
Ostalgie Kantine - the Ostalgie buffet is located in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in the territory of the former GDR. Buffet is a conditional name. Rather, it is a park of the socialist period. There are interiors from those times, exhibitions of Soviet military equipment and “people’s democracy” cars, including the legendary “Wartburg” and “Trabant”, shelves with toys.
Manager Mike Silabecki says that 80 percent of visitors are former East German citizens. “They often come with children to show them what the GDR was like, how their parents lived. Schoolchildren are brought in classes for history lessons,” he explains.
Silabecki believes that Socialism Park is popular because many from the former GDR have “good memories of those times, of socialism and the USSR.”
From the same Saxony-Anhalt, the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung reports alarming news. In the town of Börde, the local GDR era museum is closing. The building housing a collection of artifacts from the times of socialism is being demolished.
East is east, west is west
Germany reunified in 1990. Legally, it looked like this: in August, the parliament of the German Democratic Republic made a decision (long ago agreed upon by East Berlin, Bonn and the interested powers) to join the Federal Republic of Germany. On October 3, all government bodies of the GDR and its armed forces were abolished. The German Constitution of 1949 came into force throughout the country. That is, the GDR was disbanded, its lands were included in West Germany.
The united Germans called each other diminutively - "Ossi" and "Wessi", from the German words ost and west, "east" and "west", respectively. Soon the term “ostalgia” arose - longing for the times of “people's democracy”.
By economic development The GDR lagged behind the Federal Republic of Germany, however, East Germany in the 1980s was in sixth place in terms of industrial production in Europe. Enterprises such as Robotron, ORWO operated in the republic, and produced products exported abroad. trucks, cars, locomotives, cranes. Most of the industrial potential of the "people's democracy" was destroyed in the 1990s. Vessey's business behaved like a winner on the annexed lands.
The GDR existed for only 41 years, but, as it turned out, left a deep mark on the collective German conscious and unconscious.
One of the Russian bloggers interviewed Ossi in 2015, and he described to him the economic realities of a united Germany. “About 15 years later, in 2003-2004, some managers realized the mistake: why ruin part of their own country? And get the problem of subsidies? — the former citizen of the GDR was surprised.
How much does German unity cost?
In 2014, Germany decided to calculate how much it cost to reunify the country. On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the unification, Welt am Sonntag published the results of a study by experts from the Institute of Economics: “Two and twelve zeros - German unity is currently worth two trillion euros.”
“According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), the five eastern states and their populations have consumed approximately 1.5 trillion euros more than they produced themselves since reunification,” the journalists continued.
Gorbachev: The USSR did the right thing regarding the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic RepublicAccording to Mikhail Gorbachev, everyone in the Politburo was in favor of the unification of Germany and the GDR. Various forms of unification were proposed, including a confederation, he said.Two years later the situation has not changed much. In 2017, Berlin officially recognized that the lands of the former East Germany still lag behind Western Germany in terms of socio-economic development. The government expressed fears that the gap between the former GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany would not narrow, but widen. The volume of gross domestic product per capita in the East does not exceed 70 percent of West Germany. And, what is extremely significant, 30 companies - the flagships of the German economy, included in the main German stock exchange index DAX, do not have headquarters in the east.
"Everyday Racism"
In the German segment of the Internet, popular tests are “Who are you - Wessy or Ossie?” Sociologists record the negative attitude of citizens of the former GDR and West Germany towards each other. Thus, in 2012, it turned out that East Germans consider their Western compatriots arrogant, overly greedy, and prone to formalism. And many Vessies characterize Ossies as always dissatisfied, suspicious and fearful.
How seriously this problem is taken in Germany can be judged by the title of the sociological article - “Vessi vs. Ossie: Everyday Racism?” There are also common stereotypes - “Wessies are just using Ossies”, “But these Ossies are simply not capable of anything!”
"According to German politicians, in 1990 they hoped that they would be able to “digest” the east in five years, well, not in five, but in ten, not in ten, but in fifteen. However, twenty-eight years have passed, and politicians recognize that the difference between the two parts of the country remains. One spoke directly: we still, in fact, live in two countries,” says the presenter Researcher Department of European Political Studies, IMEMO RAS, Candidate of Historical Sciences Alexander Kokeev. “And this, of course, concerns politics. For example, in the former GDR, right-wing populist parties such as the Alternative for Germany enjoy greater support.
At the same time, as the expert emphasizes, this problem is not as acute now as it was immediately after reunification. Berlin solves it and treats it with the utmost care. “There is a so-called ostalgia, but it is largely irrational. The standard of living of East Germans has increased significantly, it’s just that many compare it with higher indicators in the western part of the country, and, naturally, this causes dissatisfaction among some. In addition, some former citizens The GDR, mostly elderly, feel like second-class citizens who have been put out on the stairs from their apartment and at the same time are being taught how to live correctly,” Kokeev sums up.
Education of the GDR. After the surrender in World War II, Germany was divided into 4 occupation zones: Soviet, American, British and French. Berlin, the capital of Germany, was divided in the same way. In the three western zones and the American-British-French West Berlin (it is surrounded on all sides by the territory of the Soviet occupation zone), life was gradually improving on the basis of democratic principles. In the Soviet zone of occupation, including East Berlin, a course was immediately set for the formation of a totalitarian communist system of power.
The Cold War began between the former allies in the anti-Hitler coalition, and this had the most tragic impact on the fate of Germany and its people.
Blockade of West Berlin. I.V. Stalin used the introduction of a single German mark into circulation in the three western zones (currency reform on June 20, 1948) as a pretext for the Blockade of West Berlin in order to annex it to the Soviet zone of occupation. On the night of June 23-24, 1948, all land communications between the western zones and West Berlin were blocked. The city's supply of electricity and food products from the Soviet occupation zone stopped. August 3, 1948 I.V. Stalin directly demanded the inclusion of West Berlin in the Soviet zone, but was met with rebuff from his former allies. The blockade lasted almost a year, until May 12, 1949. However, blackmail did not achieve its goals. Supplies to West Berlin were ensured via an air bridge organized by the Western Allies. Moreover, the flight altitude of their aircraft was beyond the reach of Soviet air defense systems.
The creation of NATO and the split of Germany. In response to the open hostility of the Soviet leadership, the blockade of West Berlin, the communist takeover in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, and the buildup of the Soviet military presence in Eastern Europe in April 1949 Western countries created the military-political bloc NATO (“North Atlantic Treaty Organization”). The creation of NATO influenced Soviet policy towards Germany. In the same year, it split into two states. The Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) was created on the territory of the American, British and French occupation zones, and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) on the territory of the Soviet occupation zone. At the same time, Berlin also found itself split into two parts. East Berlin became the capital of the GDR. West Berlin became separate administrative unit, having received their own self-government under the tutelage of the occupying powers.
Sovietization of the GDR and the growing crisis. In the early 1950s. Socialist transformations began in the GDR, which exactly copied the Soviet experience. Nationalization of private property, industrialization and collectivization were carried out. All these transformations were accompanied by massive repressions, with the help of which the Socialist Unity Party of Germany strengthened its dominance in the country and society. A strict totalitarian regime was established in the country, a command and administrative system for managing all spheres of public life. In 1953, the policy of Sovietization of the GDR was still in full swing. However, at this time, economic chaos and a drop in production, and a serious decline in the standard of living of the population, had already clearly begun to manifest themselves. All this caused protest from the population, and serious dissatisfaction with the regime on the part of ordinary citizens grew. The most serious form of protest was the mass flight of the population of the GDR to Germany. However, since the border between the GDR and the FRG was already closed, the only way remained was to move to West Berlin (this was still possible) and from there move to the FRG.
Forecasts of Western experts. Since the spring of 1953, the socio-economic crisis began to develop into a political one. The Eastern Bureau of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, located in West Berlin, based on its observations, noted the widespread dissatisfaction of the population with the existing system, the growing readiness of East Germans to openly oppose the regime.
Unlike the German Social Democrats, the CIA, which monitored the situation in the GDR, made more cautious forecasts. They boiled down to the fact that the SED regime and the Soviet occupation authorities controlled the economic situation, and that the “will to resist” among the East German population was low. It is unlikely that "East Germans will be willing or able to carry out revolution, even if called for, unless such a call is accompanied by a declaration of war from the West or a firm promise of Western military assistance."
The position of the Soviet leadership. The Soviet leadership also could not help but see the aggravation of the socio-economic and political situation in the GDR, but they interpreted it in a very unique way. On May 9, 1953, at a meeting of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee, an analytical report on the flight of the population from the GDR, prepared by the Soviet Ministry of Internal Affairs (headed by L.P. Beria), was reviewed. It acknowledged that the fuss raised on this issue “in the press of the Anglo-American bloc” had good grounds. However, the main reasons for this phenomenon in the certificate are reduced to the fact that “West German industrial concerns are actively working to lure away engineering and technical workers,” and the leadership of the SED was too carried away by the tasks of “improving their material well-being,” without at the same time paying due attention to nutrition and uniforms for people's police officers. The most important thing is that “the Central Committee of the SED and the responsible state bodies of the GDR are not actively fighting against the demoralizing work carried out by the West German authorities.” The conclusion was clear: to strengthen the punitive authorities and the ideological indoctrination of the population of the GDR - although both of them already exceeded all reasonable limits, precisely becoming one of the reasons for mass discontent. That is, the document did not contain any condemnation domestic policy leadership of the GDR.
Molotov's note. The note prepared by V.M. on May 8 had a different character. Molotov and sent it to G.M. Malenkova and N.S. Khrushchev. The document contained sharp criticism of the thesis about the GDR as a state of the “dictatorship of the proletariat”, which the First Secretary of the SED Central Committee W. Ulbricht spoke on May 5, emphasizing that he did not coordinate this speech with the Soviet side and that it contradicted the recommendations given to him earlier. This note was considered at a meeting of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee on May 14. The resolution condemned the statements of W. Ulbricht and contained an instruction to Soviet representatives in Berlin to talk with the leaders of the SED with a view to stopping the campaign to create new agricultural cooperatives. If we compare the documents addressed to the Presidium of the Central Committee L.P. Beria and V.M. Molotov, then we can perhaps come to the conclusion that the latter reacted to the situation in the GDR more quickly, sharply and meaningfully.
Order of the Council of Ministers. On June 2, 1953, Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR No. 7576 “On measures to improve the political situation in the GDR” was issued. It contained a condemnation of the course of the East German leadership towards “accelerated construction” or “accelerating the construction” of socialism in East Germany. On the same day, a SED delegation headed by W. Ulbricht and O. Grotewohl arrived in Moscow. During the negotiations, the leaders of the GDR were told that the situation in their country was in a dangerous state; they must immediately abandon the accelerated construction of socialism and pursue a more moderate policy. The Soviet NEP, carried out in the 1920s, was cited as an example of such a policy. In response, W. Ulbricht tried to justify his activities. He stated that the fears of the “Soviet comrades” were exaggerated, but under their pressure he was forced to promise that the course of building socialism would become more moderate.
Actions of the leadership of the GDR. On June 9, 1953, the Politburo of the SED Central Committee adopted a decision on the “new course”, in accordance with the “recommendations” of the USSR Council of Ministers, and published it two days later. It cannot be said that the leaders of the GDR were in a particular hurry, but they did not consider it necessary to explain either to ordinary party members or to the leaders of their organizations the essence of new program. As a result, the entire party and state apparatus of the GDR was paralyzed.
During negotiations in Moscow, Soviet leaders pointed out to East German leaders that it was necessary to carefully investigate the reasons for the transfer of GDR workers to West Germany, not excluding workers of private enterprises. They proposed taking measures to improve the situation of workers, their living conditions, to combat unemployment, violations of labor protection and safety regulations, especially in overpopulated industrial areas and on the Baltic coast. All these instructions remained empty words.
Back on May 28, 1953, by order of the GDR authorities, a widespread increase in production standards at industrial enterprises was announced. In fact, this meant a sharp decrease in real wages. Thus, it turned out that the workers of the GDR turned out to be the only category of the population that did not gain anything from the “new course”, but only felt the deterioration of their living conditions.
Provocation. Some foreign and Russian historians believe that such a strange feature of the “new course” proves deliberate sabotage on the part of the leadership of the GDR of Soviet recommendations. The course towards abandoning “barracks socialism” in the GDR, towards rapprochement with the Federal Republic of Germany, towards compromise and German unity threatened W. Ulbricht and his entourage with loss of power and departure from political life. Therefore, they were apparently even ready to take the risk of far-reaching destabilization of the regime, just to compromise “ new course"and save their monopoly on power. The calculation was cynical and simple: provoke mass discontent, riots, then they will intervene Soviet troops, and of course there will be no time for liberal experiments. In this sense, we can say that the events of June 17, 1953 in the GDR were the result not only of the activities of “Western agents” (its role, of course, cannot be denied), but also of a deliberate provocation on the part of the then leadership of the GDR. As it turned out later, the scope popular movement went far beyond the intended anti-liberal blackmail and quite frightened the provocateurs themselves.
GDR, a state in Central Europe in 1949-1990, on the territory of the modern lands of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Pered-nyaya Pomerania niya, Sak-so-niya, Sak-so-niya-An-halt, Tyu-rin-giya Fe-de-ra-tiv-noy Res-pub-li-ki Germany.
The capital is Berlin (Eastern). Us. OK. 17 million people (1989).
The GDR arose on October 7, 1949 on the territory of the Soviet zone of the Ok-ku-pa-tion of Germany as a temporary state. formation in response to the training in May 1949 on an American, British base. and French zones ok-ku-pa-tion (see Tri-zonia) se-pa-rat-no-go z.-germ. state - Germany (for more details, see the articles of Germany, Berlin Crisis, German Question 1945-90). In admin. From now on, since 1949 it has been divided into 5 lands, and since 1952 - into 14 districts. East Berlin had a status department. adm.-terr. eat.
In po-li-tich. sis-te-me of the GDR leading role in the game of the Socialist United Party of Germany (SED), formation -Vav-shaya-Xia in 1946 as a result of the merger on the territory of the Sov. zones of the ok-ku-pa-tion of the Kom-mu-ni-sti-che-skaya party of Germany (KPD) and So-ci-al-de-mo-kra-ti-che-skaya Party of Germany (SPD). In the GDR, the actions are the same for the German party: Christian-sti-an-sko-de-mo-kra-tich. Union of Ger-ma-nii, Li-beral-no-de-mo-kra-tich. party of Germany and the newly created National-democratic countries. par-tiya Ger-ma-nii and De-mo-kra-tich. Christian party of Germany. All the parties gathered in De-mo-kra-tich. block and declared about the pri-ver-wives-no-sti ideal-lams of social-cya-liz-ma. Parties and mass organizations (Association of free German trade unions, Union of free German trade unions) -lo-de-zhi, etc.) entered the National. front of the GDR.
The highest for-ko-no-date. org-nom of the GDR was Nar. pa-la-ta (400 dep., 1949-63, 1990; 500 dep., 1964-89), from-bi-equal-shay by all-common direct secret vy- hog. The head of the state in 1949-60 was the president (this position was held by co-chairman of the SED V. Pik). After the death of V. Pi-ka, the post of president was divided, and Nar became the collective head of the state. pa-la-toy and under-reporting to her the State. council, headed by the head of the State Council: V. Ulbricht, 1960-73; V. Shtof, 1973-76; E. Ho-nekker, 1976-89; E. Krenz, 1990). The highest org-nom is-pol-nit. the power was the Council of Ministries, which also came from Nar. pa-la-toy and was under-what-ten to her (pre-se-da-te-li So-ve-ta mi-ni-st-row: O. Gro-te-vol, 1949-64; V. Shtof, 1964-73, 1976-89; H. Zinderman, 1973-76; H. Modrov, 1989-90). Nar. pa-la-ta from-bi-ra-la before. National co-ve-ta ob-ro-ny, prev. and members of the Verkhov-no-go su-da and the general-no-go pro-ku-ro-ra of the GDR.
Normal functioning is very strong due to suffering from the military. dey-st-viy eco-no-mi-ki East. Germany, and then the GDR, from the very beginning it was os-false-not-but you paid re-pa-ra-tions in favor of the USSR and Poland. In the wake of the decisions of the Berlin (Pot-handed) conference of 1945 USA, Great Britain and France so-ra-li re-pa-rac. from their zones, as a result of which practically all the burden of re-pa-rations fell on the GDR, from-on- chal-but-us-tu-fell-in-eco-no-mich. from the Federal Republic of Germany. As of December 31, 1953, the amount of re-payments paid by Germany amounted to 2.1 billion German. ma-rock, at the same time as re-pa-rac. paid the GDR for the same period with 99.1 billion German. ma-rock. Do-la de mont-ta-zha prom. enterprises and from the current production of the GDR reached the beginning. 1950s kri-tich. volumes. An immeasurable load of re-pa-ra-tions, along with the mistakes of the leadership of the SED led by W. Ulbrich, took our course towards the “accelerated construction of social-cialis-ma”, leading to the transfer of eco-no-mi-ki res -pub-li-ki and you-called openly not-to-free-st-in-the-se-le-tion, which-appeared in the course of- life 17.6.1953. The turmoil that began as a movement for the East Berlin builders. work against the increase in standards you-work-ki, oh-va-ti-li b. including ter-ri-to-rii of the GDR and when-about-re-li ha-rak-ter an-ti-pra-vi-tel-st-ven-nyh vy-stu-p-le-niy. The support of the USSR allowed the authorities of the GDR to play with time, re-build their own political system and then stand on their own -tel-but in a short time, establish a position in the re-public. The “new course” was announced, one of the goals of which was to improve the living conditions of the world -le-nia (in 1954 there was a line for the predominant development of heavy industry; however, it was restored -on the). In order to uk-re-drink the eco-no-mi-ku of the GDR, the USSR and Poland from collecting the remaining part of the re-pa from it -rations in the amount of 2.54 billion dollars.
Providing support to the government of the GDR, the leadership of the USSR, one-on-one, pro-vo-di-lo course for the restoration of the country -le-nie of one germ. state At the Berlin Council of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Four Powers in 1954, it again took the initiative -how to ensure the unity of Germany as mi-ro-lu-bi-vo-go, de-mo-kra-tich. state, not studying in the military. soyu-zah and blocks, and out-of-layer the proposal to create time. general-German-government-vi-tel-st-vo on the basis of do-go-vo-ren-no-sti between the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany and entrusted to there is no pro-ve-de-tion of free elections. Created according to the re-zul-ta-there election of the German-society National National. the council should have worked to establish a unified Germany and form a government -vi-tel-st-vo, the right-to-conclude a peace treaty. However, the proposal of the USSR did not receive support from the Western side. powers, on the flock of members of the united Germany in NATO.
The position of the governments of the USA, Great Britain and France in Germany. in-pro-se and after-before-you in May 1955, the entry of Germany into NATO, prin-ci-pi-al-but from-men-niv-neck military-en.- po-li-tich. si-tua-tion to the Center. Europe, is there a reason for the USSR leadership to re-examine the line in the matter? -di-ne-niya Germany. Su-s-st-v-va-nyiu of the GDR and located on its territory Group of owls. troops in Germany have become a center. element in the system of ensuring the security of the USSR in Europe. on the right. So-cia-li-stich. society the device has become regarded as complete. ga-ran-tiya from the absorption of the GDR, Western-German. state-vom and development of co-yuz-nich. from the USSR. In Aug. 1954 owls ok-ku-pats. The authorities are behind the process of re-re-da-chi of the GDR state. su-ve-re-ni-te-ta, on Sept. 1955 Sov. Union under-pi-sal with the GDR fun-dam. do-go-vor about the basics from-no-she-niy. Parallel-but the all-round in-te-gra-tion of the GDR in the eco-no-mich was promoted. and po-li-tich. structures from other European countries. so-cia-li-stich. states In May 1955, the GDR became a member of the Warsaw-based Organization.
About-sta-new-ka around the GDR and internally. si-tua-tion in the very re-pub-li-ke in the 2nd half. 1950s should I stay with my wife? There were circles on Za-pa-de ak-ti-vi-zi-ro-va-gi, which would-you go-to for military use . forces in relation to the GDR with the aim of connecting it to the Federal Republic of Germany. On the middle ground. are-not the government of the Federal Republic of Germany since the fall of 1955 on the pro-di-lo line for the isolation of the GDR and you-stu-pa-lo with pre-ten-zi-ey to a single-personal representation of the Germans (see “Hal-shte-na dok-tri-na”). A particularly dangerous si-tua-tion warehouse was located on the territory of Ber-lin. Zap. Berlin, which is under the control of ok-ku-pats. ad-mi-ni-st-ra-tions of the USA, Ve-li-ko-bri-ta-nii and France and not from the GDR state. the border has actually turned into the center of disruptive activity against it, both economically and and in-li-ti-che-skoy. Eco-no-mich. in the GDR because of the open border with the West. Ber-li-nom in 1949-61 with-sta-vi-li approx. 120 billion ma-rock. Through Zap. Berlin for the same period of the GDR is not-le-gal-but-ki-nu-lo ok. 1.6 million people This would be the main thing. qualified workers, engineers, doctors, trained honey. per-so-nal, teach-te-la, pro-fes-so-ra, etc., the care of some seriously impeded the function-ni-ro-va-nie all the state-ven-no-go me-ha-niz-ma of the GDR.
In an effort to improve the security of the GDR and defuse the situation in the Center. Europe, USSR in Nov. 1958 you stepped out with the initiative to pre-do-ta-vit Zap. Ber-li-nu sta-tus de-mi-li-ta-ri-zov. freely, that is, turn it into a city of its own. po-li-tich. food that has a controlled and oh-so-great border. In Jan. 1959 Sov. The union presented a project for peace with Germany, which could be under the control of the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR or something their con-fe-de-ra-tsi-ey. However, the proposals of the USSR again did not receive support from the USA, Great Britain and France . 13.8.1961 according to the re-co-men-da-tion of the Council of the Sec-re-ta-ray com-mu-ni-stich. and working parties of the countries of Warsaw before (3-5.8.1961) government of the GDR in one side it in a row introduced a state regime. borders in the region of the West. Ber-li-na and came to the establishment of border-crossing borders (see Berlin Wall).
The construction of the Berlin Wall behind the ruling circles of the Federal Republic of Germany will re-look at its course as in Germany. in-pro-se, and in ot-no-she-ni-yah with social-cia-li-stich. countries of Europe. After Aug. 1961 The GDR gained the possibility of quiet development and internal con-so-li-da-tion. The Uk-re-p-le-niu of the GDR contributed to its agreement on friendship, mutual assistance and cooperation -no-thing with the USSR (12.6.1964), in which the non-connection of the borders of the GDR was declared one of the main. fact-to-ditch europ. safety. By 1970, the eco-no-mi-ka of the GDR according to the basic. because of them, the industrial level has risen. production from Germany in 1936, although its number in the village was only 1/4 of the former village. ray-ha. In 1968, there was a new Constitution, which was op-re-de-li-la of the GDR as a “socio-li-sti-che-go” -su-dar-st-of the German-nation” and for-cre-pi-la the ru-co-vo-dying role of the SED in the state and society. In Oct. 1974 in the text of the Constitution there was no clarification about the presence in the GDR of a “socio-li-sti-che-German na- tion."
Coming to power in Germany in 1969 by the government of V. Brand, who took the path of ure-gu-li-ro-va-niya from-no-she- niy with so-tsia-li-stich. country-on-mi (see “New eastern po-li-ti-ka”), sti-mu-li-ro-val in the-te-p-le-nie so-vet-sko -behind-the-West-German-from-no-she-ny. In May 1971, E. Honekker, who spoke for the norm, was elected to the post of 1st Secretary of the SED Central Committee. for the relationship between the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany and for the promotion of eco-no-mich. and social reforms for the purpose of strengthening socialization in the GDR.
From the beginning 1970s The government of the GDR began to develop a dialogue with the government of the Federal Republic of Germany, which led to the signing in December. 1972 to-go-vo-ra about os-no-vah from-no-she-niy between two go-su-dar-st-va-mi. Following this, the GDR was recognized in the West. der-ja-va-mi, and on September. 1973 joined the UN. Means. us-pe-khov res-pub-li-ka before-bi-las in eco-no-mich. and social spheres. Among the countries - members of the CMEA its industry and s. x-do-tig-li-highest-for-the-production-product-no-sti, as well as my very-highest degree on -uch.-technical. development in the non-military sector; in the GDR there was the highest socialist. countries level of demand per capita per capita. According to the prom. development in the 1970s. The GDR came in 10th place in the world. However, despite the sign. progress, in terms of living standards to the end. 1980s The GDR is still seri- ous from the Federal Republic of Germany, which is not a problem for the situation in the village.
In the conditions, there are rows of rows between them. on-straight-womanhood in the 1970s and 80s. The ruling circles of the Federal Republic of Germany pursued a policy of “change through rapprochement” in relation to the GDR, making the main point. emphasis on expanding economic, cultural and “human relations” with the GDR without fully recognizing it -valuable state. With the installation of di-pl-ma-tich. from the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany they talked to me not in common, as is common practice in the world, but in hundred-yan-ny-mi before-sta-vi-tel-st-va-mi with di-pl-ma-tich. sta-tu-som. Gra-yes-not the GDR, in the West-Germany. territory, as before, without any conditions, could the Federal Republic of Germany become a city, be called mi to serve in the Bundes Wehr, etc. For the citizens of the GDR who visited the Federal Republic of Germany, the "welcome" payment was preserved veins of money", the sum of which to the end. 1980s co-sta-la-la 100 ma-rock of Germany for every member of the family, including infants. Active an-ti-so-tsia-li-stich. pro-pa-gan-du and kri-ti-ku po-li-ti-ki ru-ko-vo-dstva of the GDR ve-li radio and television-vid-de-nie of the Federal Republic of Germany, re-re- Yes, there were some people practically all over the territory of the GDR. Po-li-tich. circles of the Federal Republic of Germany support any manifestations of op-po-zi-tsi-on-sti among the citizens of the GDR and encourage them escape from the republic.
In the conditions of the island ideo-logich. against-bor-st-va, in the center of something-ho-di-there was a pro-ble-ma ka-che-st-va of life and de-mo-kra- tich. freedom, the leadership of the GDR tried to regulate the “human relations” between the two go-su-dar-st-va-mi pu-tem og-ra-ni-che-niya po-ez-dok gra-zh-dan of the GDR in Germany, osus-sche-st-v-la-lo from to -with the power of the state org. safety-no-sti (“shta-zi”) increased control over the mood in the village, pre-following the activities -lei op-po-zi-tion. All this just strengthened the growth from the beginning. 1980s internal tension in the republic.
Re-building in the USSR most of the villages of the GDR met with encouragement, in the na-de-zh-de that she will contribute to the development of de-mo-kra-tich. freedom in the GDR and the removal of restrictions on travel to Germany. One-on-the-ru-co-dstvo of the re-pub-li-ki not-ga-tiv-but-did-not-go-to-the-processes, once-ra-chi-vav-shim- Xia in Sov. Soyu-ze, considering them as dangerous for the de-la social-liz-ma, and decided to take the path of pro-ve-de-re-forms. By the fall of 1989, the situation in the GDR had become critical. The elk has begun to flee to the village of the re-pub-li-ki through the border opened by the government of Hungary Austria and the territory of the German Embassy in Eastern Europe. countries In the cities of the GDR there is a pro-ho-di-li mass de-mon-st-ra-tion pro-test. Trying to establish a bi-li-zi-ro-to-sta-nov-ku, the leadership of the SED 10/18/1989 announced about the os-in-bo-zh -de-nii E. Kho-nek-ra from all his duties. But E. Krentz, who replaced Kho-nek-ker, could not save the situation. 9.11.1989 in the conditions of the adm. the restoration of free movement across the border of the GDR with Germany has not happened and control points of the Berlin Wall. Crisis po-li-tich. sis-te-we re-grew into the crisis state. On December 1, 1989, the clause on the governing role of the SED was removed from the Constitution of the GDR. 12/7/1989 real power in the re-public was transferred to the creation of Evan-ge-lich. church Around the table, in which the old parties and mass organizations were represented -za-tions of the GDR and new non-formal po-li-tich. or-ga-ni-za-tion. At the 18.3.1990 par-lament elections of the SED, re-named into the Party de-mo-kra-tich. so-tsia-liz-ma, po-ter-pe-la po-ra-zhe-nie. Kva-li-fi-tsir. most tires in Nar. pa-la-te po-lu-chi-li side-ron-ni-ki entry of the GDR into the Federal Republic of Germany. Re-she-ni-em but-in-go par-la-men-ta was up-divided by the State. Council of the GDR, and its functions are re-da-ny Pre-zi-diu-mu Nar. pa-la-you. The head of the koa-persons. The leader of the Christian de-mo-kra-tov of the GDR, L. de Mezier, was elected as the prime minister. The new government of the GDR announced the ut-ra-tiv-shi-mi si-lu for-the-cons, for-the-cre-p-lyav-shie-tsia -li-stitch. state establishment of the GDR, entered into negotiations with the leadership of the Federal Republic of Germany on the conditions for the establishment of two -states and 18.5.1990 signed a state agreement with him. do-go-vor about va-lyut-nom, eco-no-mich. and so-ci-al-nom soyu-ze. In parallel, negotiations were carried out between the governments of the Federal Republic of Germany and the German Democratic Republic with the USSR, the USA, Great Britain and France. she cares about problems connected with the volume of Germany. The leadership of the USSR headed by M.S. Li-k-vi-da-tsi-ey of the GDR and member-st of the united Germany in NATO. By own ini-tsia-ti-ve it raised a question about you being from the territory of the GDR Sov. military-in-skogo kon-tin-gen-ta (since mid-1989 it was called the Western Group of Forces) and undertook to implement this water in a short time - within 4 years.
On July 1, 1990, the state government came into force. agreement about the union of the GDR with the Federal Republic of Germany. Western Germany began to operate on the territory of the GDR. eco-no-mich. right, and the payment medium has become a brand of Germany. 31.8.1990 government of two german states. state-states under-pi-sa-li do-go-thief about ob-e-di-ne-nii. 12.9.1990 in Moscow, representatives of six states (Germany and the German Democratic Republic, as well as the USSR, USA, Great Britain and France) put their under-pi-si under “Do-go-vo-rum about the window-cha-tel-nom ure-gu-li-ro-va-nii in from-but -she-nii Ger-ma-nii", in collaboration with which-country-zha-you - on-be-di-tel-ni-tsy in the 2nd mi- ro-howl-didn’t declare the termination of “their rights and responsibility in relation to Ber-lin and Germany as a whole" and the pre-dos-ta-vi-li of the ob-e-di-nyon-noy Germany "complete su-ve-re-ni-tet over its own mi internal-ren-ni-mi and external-ni-mi de-la-mi.” 10/3/1990 the agreement on the unification of the GDR and the Federal Republic of Germany came into force, the West-Berlin-li-tion took under oh -ra-well government. educational establishment of the GDR in the East. Ber-li-ne. The GDR as a state has pre-kra-ti-la its existence. Ple-bis-tsi-ta on this issue neither in the GDR nor in the Federal Republic of Germany.
Additional literature:
Is-to-ria of the German De-mo-kra-ti-che-res-pub-li-ki. 1949-1979. M., 1979;
Geschichte der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik. B., 1984;
Socialism of the national flowers of the GDR. M., 1989;
Bahrmann H., Links C. Chronik der Wende. B., 1994-1995. Bd 1-2;
Lehmann H. G. Deutschland-Chronik 1945-1995. Bonn, 1996;
Modrow H. Ich wollte ein neues Deutschland. B., 1998.
Illustrations:
In the Pre-zi-dium-me Ob-di-ni-tel-no-go (Uch-re-di-tel-no-go) congress of the SED. Berlin. 21.4.1946. On the left is V. Peak, on the right is O. Gros-te-vol. BRE Archive;
June 17, 1953 in Vost. Ber-li-ne. BRE Archive;
Para-rad of fighting workers' squads in the East. Ber-li-ne. August 1961. BRT Archive;
Flag of the German Democratic Republic. BRE Archive;
Berlin. Pa-no-ra-ma Alek-san-der-platz. BRE Archive.
Creation of the German Democratic Republic
In the Soviet occupation zone, the creation of the German Democratic Republic was legitimized by the institutions of the People's Congresses. The 1st German People's Congress met in December 1947, it was attended by the SED, LDPD, a number of public organizations and the KKE from the western zones (the CDU refused to take part in the congress). Delegates came from all over Germany, but 80% of them represented residents of the Soviet occupation zone. The 2nd Congress was convened in March 1948, attended by delegates only from East Germany. The German was elected people's council, whose task was to develop a constitution for a new democratic Germany. The Council adopted a constitution in March 1949, and in May of that year elections for delegates to the 3rd German People's Congress took place, following the model that had become the norm in the Soviet bloc: voters could only vote for a single list of candidates, the vast majority of whom were members of the SED . The 2nd German People's Council was elected at the congress. Although the SED delegates did not constitute a majority in this council, the party secured a dominant position through the party leadership of delegates from public organizations (youth movement, trade unions, women's organization, cultural league).
On October 7, 1949, the German People's Council proclaimed the creation German Democratic Republic. Wilhelm Pieck became the first president of the GDR, and Otto Grotewohl became the head of the Provisional Government. Five months before the adoption of the constitution and the proclamation of the GDR, the Federal Republic of Germany was proclaimed in West Germany. Since the official creation of the GDR occurred after the creation of the Federal Republic of Germany, East German leaders had a reason to blame the West for the division of Germany.
Economic difficulties and worker discontent in the GDR
Throughout its existence, the GDR constantly experienced economic difficulties. Some of them were the result of poverty natural resources and poor development of economic infrastructure, but the majority were a consequence of policies pursued by the Soviet Union and the East German authorities. On the territory of the GDR there were no deposits of such important minerals as coal and iron ore. There was also a lack of high-class managers and engineers who fled to the West.
In 1952, the SED proclaimed that socialism would be built in the GDR. Following the Stalinist model, the leaders of the GDR imposed a harsh economic system with central planning and government control. Heavy industry was given priority for development. Ignoring the dissatisfaction of citizens caused by the shortage of consumer goods, the authorities tried by all means to force workers to increase labor productivity.
After Stalin's death, the workers' situation did not improve, and they responded with an uprising on June 16-17, 1953. The action began as a strike by East Berlin construction workers. The unrest immediately spread to other industries in the capital, and then to the entire GDR. The strikers demanded not only improvement of their economic situation, but also holding free elections. The authorities were in a state of panic. The paramilitary "People's Police" lost control of the situation, and the Soviet military administration brought in tanks.
After the events of June 1953, the government switched to a policy of carrots and sticks. Softer economic policy("New Deal") included lower production standards for workers and increased production of some consumer goods. At the same time, large-scale repressions were carried out against the instigators of unrest and disloyal functionaries of the SED. About 20 demonstrators were executed, many were thrown into prison, almost a third of party officials were either removed from their posts or transferred to other jobs with the official motivation “for losing contact with the people.” Nevertheless, the regime managed to overcome the crisis. Two years later, the USSR officially recognized the sovereignty of the GDR, and in 1956 East Germany formed its armed forces and became a full member of the Warsaw Pact.
Another shock for the countries of the Soviet bloc was the 20th Congress of the CPSU (1956), at which the Chairman of the Council of Ministers N.S. Khrushchev made an expose Stalin's repressions. The revelations of the leader of the USSR caused unrest in Poland and Hungary, but in the GDR the situation remained calm. The improvement in the economic situation caused by the new course, as well as the opportunity for dissatisfied citizens to “vote with their feet”, i.e. emigrate across the open border to Berlin, helped prevent a repeat of the events of 1953.
Some softening of Soviet policies after the 20th Congress of the CPSU encouraged those members of the SED who did not agree with the position of Walter Ulbricht, a key political figure in the country, and other hardliners. The reformers, led by Wolfgang Harich, a university teacher. Humboldt in East Berlin, advocated democratic elections, workers' control in production and the "socialist unification" of Germany. Ulbricht managed to overcome this opposition of the “revisionist deviationists.” Harich was sent to prison, where he stayed from 1957 to 1964.
Berlin Wall
Having defeated the supporters of reforms in their ranks, the East German leadership began accelerated nationalization. Mass collectivization began in 1959 Agriculture and the nationalization of numerous small enterprises. In 1958, about 52% of land was owned by the private sector; by 1960 it had increased to 8%.
Showing support for the GDR, Khrushchev took a tough line against Berlin. He demanded that the Western powers effectively recognize the GDR, threatening to close access to West Berlin. (Until the 1970s, Western powers refused to recognize the GDR as an independent state, insisting that Germany must be unified in accordance with post-war agreements.) Once again The scale of the ongoing exodus of the population from the GDR acquired frightening proportions for the government. In 1961, more than 207 thousand citizens left the GDR (in total, more than 3 million people moved to the West since 1945). In August 1961, the East German government blocked the flow of refugees by ordering the construction of a concrete wall and barbed wire fence between East and West Berlin. Within a few months, the border between the GDR and West Germany was equipped.
Stability and prosperity of the GDR
The exodus of the population stopped, specialists remained in the country. It became possible to carry out more effective government planning. As a result, the country managed to achieve modest levels of prosperity in the 1960s and 1970s. The rise in living standards was not accompanied by political liberalization or a weakening of dependence on the USSR. The SED continued to tightly control the areas of art and intellectual activity. East German intellectuals experienced significantly greater restrictions on their creativity than their Hungarian or Polish colleagues. The nation's well-known cultural prestige rested largely on left-leaning older writers such as Bertolt Brecht (with his wife, Helena Weigel, who directed the famous Berliner Ensemble theater group), Anna Seghers, Arnold Zweig, Willy Bredel and Ludwig Renn. . But several new significant names also appeared, among them Christa Wolf and Stefan Geim.
It should also be noted that East German historians, such as Horst Drexler and other researchers of German colonial policy 1880-1918, in whose works a reassessment of individual events of recent history were carried out German history. But the GDR was most successful in increasing its international prestige in the field of sports. Developed system of government sports clubs and training camps has produced elite athletes who have achieved amazing success at the Summer and Winter Olympics since 1972.
Changes in the leadership of the GDR
By the end of the 1960s Soviet Union, still firmly in control of East Germany, began to show dissatisfaction with the policies of Walter Ulbricht. The leader of the SED actively opposed the new policy of the West German government led by Willy Brandt, aimed at improving relations between West Germany and the Soviet bloc. Dissatisfied with Ulbricht's attempts to sabotage Brandt's eastern policy, the Soviet leadership achieved his resignation from party posts. Ulbricht retained the minor post of head of state until his death in 1973.
Ulbricht's successor as first secretary of the SED was Erich Honecker. A native of the Saarland, he joined the Communist Party at an early age and, after his release from prison at the end of World War II, became a professional SED functionary. For many years he headed the youth organization "Free German Youth". Honecker intended to strengthen what he called "real socialism." Under Honecker, the GDR began to play a prominent role in international politics, especially in relations with Third World countries. After the signing of the Basic Treaty with West Germany (1972), the GDR was recognized by the majority of countries in the world community and in 1973, like the FRG, became a member of the UN.
Collapse of the GDR
Although there were no further mass protests until the late 1980s, the East German population never fully adapted to the SED regime. In 1985, about 400 thousand citizens of the GDR applied for a permanent exit visa. Many intellectuals and church leaders openly criticized the regime for its lack of political and cultural freedoms. The government responded by increasing censorship and expelling some prominent dissidents from the country. Ordinary citizens expressed outrage at the system of total surveillance carried out by an army of informants who were in the service of the Stasi secret police. By the 1980s, the Stasi had become something of a corrupt state within a state, controlling its own industrial enterprises and even speculating on the international foreign exchange market.
The coming to power in the USSR of M.S. Gorbachev and his policies of perestroika and glasnost undermined the basis of existence of the ruling SED regime. East German leaders recognized the potential danger early and abandoned perestroika in East Germany. But the SED could not hide information about changes in other countries of the Soviet bloc from the citizens of the GDR. West German television programs, which residents of the GDR watched much more often than East German television products, widely covered the progress of reforms in Eastern Europe.
The dissatisfaction of most East German citizens with their government reached a climax in 1989. While neighboring Eastern European states quickly liberalized their regimes, the SED cheered the brutal suppression of the June 1989 Chinese student demonstration in Tiananmen Square. But it was no longer possible to contain the tide of impending changes in the GDR. In August, Hungary opened its border with Austria, allowing thousands of East German holidaymakers to emigrate to the west.
At the end of 1989, popular discontent resulted in colossal protest demonstrations in the GDR itself. "Monday demonstrations" quickly became a tradition; hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of major cities of the GDR (the most massive protests took place in Leipzig) demanding political liberalization. The GDR leadership was divided over how to deal with the dissatisfied, and it also became clear that it was now left to its own devices. At the beginning of October, M.S. arrived in East Germany to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the GDR. Gorbachev, who made it clear that the Soviet Union would no longer interfere in the affairs of the GDR to save the ruling regime.
Honecker, who had just recovered from major surgery, advocated the use of force against protesters. But the majority of the SED Politburo did not agree with his opinion, and in mid-October Honecker and his main allies were forced to resign. Egon Krenz became the new General Secretary of the SED, as did Honecker, the former leader of the youth organization. The government was headed by Hans Modrow, secretary of the Dresden district committee of the SED, who was known as a supporter of economic and political reforms.
The new leadership tried to stabilize the situation by meeting some of the demonstrators' particularly widespread demands: the right to free exit from the country was granted (the Berlin Wall was opened on November 9, 1989) and free elections were proclaimed. These steps turned out to be insufficient, and Krenz, having served as head of the party for 46 days, resigned. At a hastily convened congress in January 1990, the SED was renamed the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), and a truly democratic party charter was adopted. The chairman of the renewed party was Gregor Gysi, a lawyer by profession who defended several East German dissidents during the Honecker era.
In March 1990, citizens of the GDR participated in the first free elections in 58 years. Their results greatly disappointed those who had hoped for the preservation of a liberalized but still independent and socialist GDR. Although several newly emerged parties advocated a "third way" distinct from Soviet communism and West German capitalism, a bloc of parties allied with the West German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won a landslide victory. This voting bloc demanded unification with West Germany.
Lothar de Maizière, leader of the East German CDU, became the first (and last) freely elected prime minister of the GDR. The short period of his reign was marked by great changes. Under the leadership of de Maizières, the previous management apparatus was quickly dismantled. In August 1990, five states abolished in the GDR in 1952 were restored (Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia). On October 3, 1990, the GDR ceased to exist, merging with Federal Republic Germany.
The beginning of the Cold War in 1946-1947 and the growing confrontation between the USSR and the Western powers made it impossible to recreate a unified German state. The differences in the approach of the USSR and the USA to solving the German problem turned out to be insurmountable. The USSR advocated the reunification of Germany, its demilitarization and neutral status. The United States opposed the neutral status of a united Germany. They sought to see Germany as a dependent ally. As a result of the USSR's victory in the war, the countries of Eastern Europe came under its control. Power in them gradually passed to local communists loyal to the USSR. The United States and Western states, in opposition to the USSR, sought to maintain West Germany in their sphere of influence. This predetermined the state split in Germany.
Western states decided to create a special West German state in those territories that were under their occupation control. For this purpose, an Economic Council was established in Frankfurt from representatives of the Landtags of the states. He resolved financial and economic issues. The Economic Council had a majority of the CDU, CSU and FDP parties, which advocated a social market economy. In 1948, by decision of the Economic Council, monetary reform took place in the three western occupation zones. A stable German mark was introduced into circulation, and price controls were abolished. West Germany embarked on the path of creating a social market economy, and its economic revival began.
In 1948, to develop and adopt a draft constitution for the West German state, a special Parliamentary Council was convened - the Constituent Assembly, elected by the Landtags of the West German states. The draft constitution was developed in committees of the Parliamentary Council with the participation of German jurists and approved by military governors. In May 1949, the Parliamentary Council adopted the Basic Law. It received ratification and approval from the Landtags of the West German states, except for Bavaria, but is also valid for it, and came into force. This is how the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) came into being. It covered half of the former territory of the country and two-thirds of the Germans lived there. Western states adopted an occupation statute in 1949. He limited the sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Germany in the field of foreign policy, defense, and foreign trade until 1955. Germany is still occupied by American troops.
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany is officially called the Basic Law, since when adopted, this act was considered temporary until the unification of the German lands into a single state, after which it was planned to develop a constitution for a united Germany. According to the Basic Law, Germany was open to the annexation of the remaining German states. After German unity is achieved, the Basic Law applies to the entire German people and ceases to be valid on the day when a new constitution comes into force, which will be adopted by the free decision of the German people. The Constitution of 1949 was also called Bonn - after the name of the new capital of the Federal Republic of Germany - Bonn.
In the Soviet zone of occupation, that is, in the eastern part of Germany, in October 1949, its own constitution was adopted, created on the Soviet model, and the German Democratic Republic (GDR) was proclaimed. As a result, a long forty-year period of existence of two independent German states began. They did not remain neutral, but entered military-political alliances opposing each other. In 1955, Germany joined NATO, and the GDR joined the Warsaw Pact.
The GDR included five German states. Soon, in 1952, the lands on the territory of the GDR were legally abolished and fourteen territorial districts were formed. The Chamber of Lands was abolished in 1958. The parliament of the GDR - the People's Chamber - became unicameral. The GDR, established as a federal state, became a unitary state.