24 September 2012
The German Democratic Republic
Communism (Marxism) Soviet Union Centres on the working classes Stalin used it as a means to create an (proletariat), regardless of nationality empire Claims equality of races and individuals Anti-Semitism was still rampant Equally antagonistic to all regions throughout the nation Claims to be rational by nature Many communist states have used the Against capitalism, because it exploits same bland, uniform style as opposed workers to contemporary artistic styles In favour of technological progress since it would make work easier Marxism-Leninism “Vanguard Party” it would Neutral in regard to artistic forms and simultaneously establish a dictatorship styles of the proletariat; supported by the Ideally leads to harmony without working class, the vanguard party would exploitation; gladly helping others lead the revolution to depose the without reward incumbent Tsarist government, and
transfer government power to the working class.
24 September 2012
The Rape Epidemic Red Army – after the German armed forces had surrendered, the part of Germany under Soviet Union occupation was split roughly in half and one part was allocated for temporary Polish administration. The communist Polish administrators of the occupied territories as a consequence did little to protect the German population from Polish and Soviet rapists. "Even the Soviets expressed shock at the Poles’ behavior. Polish soldiers stated one report, 'relate to German women as to free booty'." At the end of World War II, Red Army soldiers are estimated to have raped around 2,000,000 German women and girls. Many of these victims were raped repeatedly. o Antony Beevor estimates that up to half the victims were victims of gang rapes. As a result, according to the book Berlin: The Downfall, 1945 by Beevor, some 90% of raped Berlin women in 1945 had venereal diseases as results of these consequential rapes and 3.7% of all children born in Germany from 1945 to 1946 had Soviet fathers. o The history behind this particular rape of the German women by the Soviet troops was considered a taboo topic until 1992. Soviet union generals were individualistic: some had encouraged their men to rape, some did not participate but did not stop their soldiers from raping, and others would rather have their men dead than see them do such atrocities. They considered women “cardinal booties” since they felt they were liberating Europe.
Binge Drinking The Soviet Union soldiers were caught up in binge drinking to repress the hardship and anger of losing the situation. They would get completely shit-faced that the soviet gov’t had to put up anti-alcoholism campaigns. But since it brought in so much income, the campaigns were very half-hearted.
Stalin was super paranoid and would off any one he considered a threat to his plan. Social-democratic merged with communist party (1936). There was no official currency exchange for Eastern Germany money o Can’t go to bank and exchange; they have to go to the border.
West Germany = milk is a sign of East Germany = the Airlift to West Berlin— democracy. a peace-threatening provocation of the imperialist Western Powers.
States of the German Federal Republic (East Germany) Parliamentary democracy Centralized system Division into districts (Bezirke) Council of Ministers (head of government) President (head of state until 1960) Council of State (head of state after 1960) Unicameral parliament (one house): the elected People’s Chamber [Volkskammer]
24 September 2012
The “National Front”
“Warum gibt es in der DDR keine Opposition?” [“Why is there no Opposition in the GDR?”]. “All parties, and the other social forces of the GDR, now set themselves the goal of continually improving the developed socialist society, and thus giving all citizens the best possible chance to guarantee their personal development. This cooperation makes an opposition completely superfluous.”
“After all, an opposition in the GDR could be directed only against the policy of our government. It would therefore have to be directed against the introduction of the 45-hour week, against the construction of an additional one hundred thousand apartments, against our low rents, against the stability of our prices, against the low MTS (machine tractor station) rates, against the high expenditures on science and culture, against our peace policy. It would have to be directed against the unity of the working class, against our workers’ and peasants’ state. It would have to be in favor of employing militarists and fascists in high positions of power, of the NATO war pact, and of preparations for a nuclear war. Tolerating such an opposition would be criminal.”
The real power was invested in the secretary position; the entire election was a front and had no real value. The SED was Stalin’s Vanguard Party o Everyone was forced to vote for the democratic party since there were, in reality, no other parties.
24 September 2012
DDR-Speak Democratic = “rule by the people” = “dictatorship of the proletariat” = “SED leadership” Freedom = “recognition of necessity” (F. Engels) = “subordination to the SED” Progressive = “communist”
Walter Ulbricht – General Secretary of the Central Committee of the SED (1950 – 1971) Elites will beget elites, Non-elites will beget non-elites
Joseph V. Stalin – Stalin is peace – died March 5 1953 There was a push for Russians to look like the ally of Germans.
Spy vs. Spy (1955) Elli Barczatis & Karl Laurenz were executed by guillotine.
The Stasi Ministry for state security (secret police); its = to KGB Erich Mielke, minister of State Security, 1957 – 1989 Many people were revealed to have been being spied on for years (e.g. employers, families, coworkers, lovers) After the fall of the wall, it came to light that many easterner Germany had worked as spies for the STASI. Some were blackmailed, some were seriously sadistic bastards, and some honestly thought that the people being spied on were a threat to the sanctity of the state. Everything national was “state-owned” despite the socialist political structure. Treuhand would take East German business assets and distributed the goods to the citizens. o Detlev Rohwedder was the man in charge of Treuhand. At this stage, many people who would not usually get the education to become doctors, radiologist, lawyers, etc. are given the time and money by the gov’t to do so. o “Why get the same wages as a mechanic when I get a butt-load of cash in west Germany?” The Berlin Wall was then built and separated the communist east from the democratic west. It began as a simple wall but eventually evolved into an intense obstacle course that would kill, or at least severely wound, many who tried to sneak past Limited consumerism was established in East Germany in order to keep people happy
Seven Wonders of the GDR 1. Although nobody is unemployed, half the population has nothing to do. 2. Although half the population has nothing to do, there aren't enough workers. 3. Although there aren't enough workers, we meet and even exceed the economic plans. 4. Although we meet and even exceed the economic plans, there's nothing to buy in the shops. 5. Although there's nothing to buy in the shops, people have almost everything. 6. Although people have almost everything, half the population complains. 7. Although half the Protests began to become too large
The 1st “actual” election was “Die DDR Volkskammer” 24 September 2012
“We are THE people” => “We are ONE people” Wessis vs. Ossis Unification was not an easy process due to the long-term political and cultural adaptation made due to Soviet influence. The “wall in the head”; East Germany = elbowing society, West Germany = neighbourly environment
VERGANGENHEITSBEWÄLTIGUNG • = “mastering the past” i.e. the Nazi past • = dealing (emotionally, intellectually) with the guilt caused by the human rights abuses of the Nazi government • This debate was completely avoided in East German society and culture o Did the GDR face, or avoid, the Nazi past? o Did reunification signal the end of German penance? o Is Germany now a “normal” nation?